Hogar's Journal
by bigtimedwarfer
Summary: Hogar is a half-orc Beastmaster Ranger on a quest to destroy Orcus the Demon Prince of the Undead. This is his journal, recounting the exploits of Hogar and his companions on their quest.
1. Chapter 1

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

24th Day of Garmensis

The King's Road – En-route to Winterhaven

Two decades away from this region leads one to forget the capricious nature of the weather. It has been a long time since I've seen rain fall from a clear blue sky. How it falls now. When the Vicrael ask me to accompany me on this mission for the Praetorium I was reticent to return here. It's hard to imagine what it will be like returning to a homeland from which you fled in fear for your life so many years ago. Now that I am back nostalgia and dread vie for supremacy amongst my emotions. Even after so long the cold and the rain are somehow more familiar to me than the baking sun that pounds the streets of Nerath almost daily.

But have I returned only to see the final destruction of this place? If the rumours are true and the shadow of Orcus truly descends over this vale; then the death and destruction that my grandfather wrought here ninety years ago will be as nothing compared to the cataclysm that lies ahead.

Remnants of empire echo only faintly here, the shells of once great buildings line this Imperial highway, battered and torn down by the furious storms of Kord, piles of stone nestle in the bosom of the gently rolling grasslands. In the distance the plains rise to form foothills overlooked by the sinister and brooding spectre of the Cairngorm Peaks, from this distance little more than a shadow over the horizon. The ruinous touch of Grummush is still apparent in these lands, holding back the restorative influence of Erathis and preventing the return of civilisation even so many years after the defeat of my grandfather.

We make steady progress despite the poor condition of the road and the worsening weather. Diefenbaker pads over the moor land. Off into the distance and back again, sniffing for interesting scents and scouting ahead as a good hunt-wolf should. Minron is his usual quiet self, as determined to see this through as I am, the tall minotaur strides out before us resplendent in his scarlet cloak and gleaming armour. He has little use for words or actions that will not further us in our hunt for the Demon Prince. This leaves Old Vic to make the conversation as usual, a position he relishes. Our commander can go on for seemingly indefinite amounts of time about the exploits of his younger days. Some people do not realise the benefits of quiet introspection.

25th Day of Garmensis

The King's Road – En-route to Winterhaven

The rain falls more persistently now and no longer from a clear sky. There are evil portents in this land. Something grows in the shadow.

As I survey the ruin of the King's Road, now more mud track than Imperial Highway, I fear the effect a manifestation of Orcus may have on this region. Scarcely three generations after the destruction visited on Nentir Vale by my grandfather, the march of an undead legion would drive civilisation from these lands indefinitely.

Diefenbaker has discovered corpses lying on and around the road. Russet lizard-men they are known to me as kobalds. There has been a struggle here and these creatures came off second best. Stripped of most of their clothes and possessions, their black blood stains the land.

There is also a pool of red blood in the road that looks like bad news for whoever it came from, it has the odour of Elf about it. Vic agrees, crouching over the scene like one of the Emperor's watchmen investigating a murder back in Nerath, he can sense the aura of his woodland cousins. He believes that the wound would have been fatal. Truly a shadow forms over this place.

We make good time and should reach Winterhaven tomorrow or the day after.

26th Day of Garmensis

The King's Road – En-route to Winterhaven

As we near Winterhaven vile Orcus dominates my dreams. Each morning the stench of undead flesh fills my nostrils as I wake. A reminder of the nightmare of Orcus' vision that is my nightly gift from the Demon Prince of the Undead. I know not why he chooses to reveal his vision of utopia to me. I know of no other bestowed of this 'gift' nor any means to rid myself of his foul presence. All that is left to me is to do my all to prevent the future of my nightmares from becoming the future for us all.

Early this morning, before the sun could claw its way over the mountains ahead, Minron noticed strange lights in the sky to the north-west. Opaque steaks of light green and palest blue danced across the horizon over a point in the distance to the north, too far away for us to be able to discern its nature. Foul magic is at work in these lands. I fear my brothers in the Praetorium will have to act against the Prince of the Undead after all.

Our fearless leader's inspirational aura has diminished somewhat. 146 years old and he tries to pet a feral war-hound? What's more he's surprised to be bitten? He's lucky that the hand is still attached. Too much more of that and his flute playing days will come to a permanent end, though I'm not sure that would be an altogether bad thing. Perhaps we might even get some sleep.

As Winterhaven reveals itself in the distant foothills the peace of the valley has been disturbed by an ear-splitting cacophony from the direction of this morning's arcane lights. Such a cataclysm must be linked to the portents of Orcus. We must make haste to the town as soon we are able and determine what is at this location that may have drawn the Demon Prince.

27th Day of Garmensis

Winterhaven

Driving rain has turned these foothills into a quagmire impeding our progress to Winterhaven. We arrived in the early hours of the morning to find The whole town, if the ramshackle place can truly be described as such, in a commotion following the return of a group of warriors from a keep to the north-east. That this is the direction from which the ear-splitting din emanated immediately piqued our interest. Vicrael asked around the local shop keepers and quickly determined that these adventurers were at the inn following a commotion in the night.

Originally a group of six these adventurers had been to the ominously named Shadowfell Keep to root out a nest of goblins that had been troubling the area. Upon returning to Winterhaven this group of amateurs proceed to drink themselves into oblivion, letting their guard down only to be ambushed in the night by vampires who made off with three of their number.

I later determined that amongst the three taken was their elven leader. This Cleric by the name of Eric had been slaughtered on the Kings Road by Kobolds and then resurrected by magic. In my experience this never leaves someone unaltered, magic is not to be trusted. It was this elf's blood stain that Diefenbaker discovered on the road two days ago.

Minron and I had been drawing some wary glances from the locals since arriving at Winterhaven. For this reason we decided to wait outside the inn whilst Old Vic talked to the remaining members of the group. Leaving the old man to his own devices was as ever a mistake. As we stood in the filth and driving rain our intrepid leader committed us to a journey quite contrary to our mission. By the time we were called into the bar it was too late to alter our course.

I stooped under a low beam and into the inn. The stink of waterlogged mud and shit was instantly replaced by that of tobacco smoke mingled with vomit. My arrival generated a few gasps from the patrons. The memory of orcish aggression is still sufficient in these parts, even three generations after the Bloodspear wars, to make people wary of half-orcs. I wonder what the reaction would be if they knew of my lineage? The reaction from the patrons as I entered was as nothing compared to that when Minron stooped to get through the door. The whole place became uncomfortably silent for several moments. You don't get many minotours in these parts it seems. Vic introduced us to a dwarf, a tiefling and a human mage.

Most striking of the group was the human, even allowing for the demonic horns and tail that are the standard accoutrements of a tiefling. Dressed in blue robes, he was not old in appearance, perhaps forty. His head was completely bald and covered in an intricate pattern of tattoos that brought to mind the vision of an electrical storm. His skin was a deep tan, the result of many hours under a sun much stronger than that which struggles to make its presence felt here. The mage was alone in not drinking the local ale and did not utter so much as a single word throughout the conversation. I'm not certain he even registered that we were there.

Most of the talking and indeed most of the drinking, was done by the dwarf. He was a stout, stocky fellow with an unruly mop of red hair and a beard to match. In front of him on the table there lay an axe but not just an axe. Instead of a pommel the base of the shaft was adorned with a spearhead. He later told me that it is an ugrosh, a weapon of dwarven design. It must be a difficult weapon to master, if this dwarf is competent in its use then that would suggest that he is a fighter of some skill.

Glen informed us that beneath the keep they very quickly discovered that there was more at work than just a group of goblins. The keep had been constructed above a portal to the Shadowfell itself. Somehow this motley crew managed to close the portal, destroying the keep in the process.

Though their actions in closing the portal were impressive enough these adventurers show remarkably little understanding of the underlying events they were part of at the keep. Even the oddly named mage Rodney had little to say about Orcus and the cult that had infested the fortress, remaining so aloof as to seem completely uninterested in our conversation.

They also killed rather than captured the mage responsible for the re-opening of the portal under the keep. This decision has robbed us of a source of vital information concerning Orcus' plans. The dwarf fighter Glen showed no remorse for this oversight, barely seeing fit to speak to me at all. Probably not surprising behaviour for a dwarf of this region when confronted with someone of orcish extraction.

Amongst their missing companions are a Cleric and a Paladin. Vicreal is certain that they will be able to provide us with more details of the Cult of Orcus' activities in the keep. If the members of the group still in Winterhaven are anything to go by I find this incredibly optimistic. Surely we would be better off travelling to the keep ourselves to search for clues? Still, it's his decision and Old Vic has decided that we will aid these three in the search for their missing companions. Wherever my intrepid and fearless leader goes I will of course follow.

28th Day of Garmensis

En route to Silverkin Manor

The mage had witnessed his companions being carried off by skeletal horsemen to the south. The Lord of Winterhaven, a man called Padraig, informed us of a manor in this direction belonging to Jacob Silverkin. The last of his line, Silverkin became a recluse many years ago following the death of the last of his sons. If undead riders have passed through his lands he should know of it.

It was little trouble to pick up the tracks of the kidnappers and follow them southwards. If the mark that Padraig placed on Rodney's map is correct then we should reach the manor tomorrow. Hopefully once there Silverkin will be able to provide us with more information so that we can get this fool's errand over with.

29th Day of Garmensis – Part I

Silverkin Estate Outskirts

The tracks led us over rolling hills populated with sickly oak trees, their gnarled branches and roots jutted into our patch and slowed progress. Eventually the trees thinned to reveal acres of neglected pasture. In the distance we could see a grand white building nestled between two low rises. Between us and it there was an unkempt orchard, its straight and once well tended rows of trees now uncontrollably tangled together. From this orchards four undead riders trotted out to meet us. From a hiding place in the trees I could see that three of them were entirely skeletal, their bones held together and animated by vile magical forces in the absence of tendon and sinew. The fourth looked as though he had been disturbed from his grave-rest just as he was getting comfortable. Pallid flesh hung slack from his cheeks as those cold red eyes seemed to find my hiding place and pierce to my very soul. His presence tugged at my vitality, draining my energy and making the long sleep of death seem almost appealing. This wight was mounted on the monstrous undead corpse of a dire wolf whose presence set Diefenbaker's hackles to standing.

Old Vic stepped forth and attempted to converse with the undead creature, I fear that his mind may be wandering in his old age for him to continuously do and say such ridiculous things. The wight contemptuously ignored him and instructed the others to dispose of us, muttering something about "having enough already" and then rode off in the direction of the Manor.

The skeletons were customarily dull witted and I managed to manoeuvre into a more advantageous position before they reacted to their master's instruction. I heard an instruction from Vic behind me telling everyone to focus on the mounts to pin the archers down and overwhelm them. A lucid moment from an otherwise addled mind. It did him little good though as the rest of the party moved forward through the trees towards the enemy, leaving Vic exposed. The arrogant mage Rodney charged ahead of everyone and sent an errant magic projectile towards the horsemen, earning for himself a hail of arrows in response. Luckily for him the majority didn't seem to find their mark.

One of the horsemen took advantage of the bumbling charge to circle around behind us and attack Vicrael. The veteran warlock managed to knock one of them off balance with a well placed bolt of energy but he was quickly overwhelmed and visibly hurt.

I could spare no more time and attention on the efforts of those behind me and got to work peppering our skeletal foes with arrows. As usual contact with iron served to weaken the dire magics that had raised the peaceful dead and we quickly began to turn the tide against our attackers. In particular Glen and Eligos were of great help to me whilst dispatching the riders. Glen very nearly took the head off a horse in one blow and Eligos, faced with the oncoming charge of a skeletal horse and rider , morphed before my eyes into a gigantic humanoid ram. She then charged headlong into her undead foes and shattered them into a pile of bones. A feat as impressive as anything I saw in my years serving the Imperium.

Minron had marshalled the others to dispatch the remaining rider and helped Rodney and Vic to overcome their wounds. Interestingly Minron cannot get his mouth round the name 'Rodney' and has instead taken to calling the mage Dave.

A quick search of the area allowed me to replenish my arrows and turned up three gemstones. The dwarf was quite pathetically excited by the discovery of the stones and refused to share them amongst the group. Impressive though his battle prowess may be, we shall have words about that later if his attitude does not change.


	2. Chapter 2

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

29th Day of Garmensis – Part II

Silverkin Orchard

We moved on into the twisted orchard, too old and unkempt to bear fruit any longer. The dwarf recognised the trees as plum despite their wizened state. As we moved deeper into the trees intertwined branches plunged us into twilight. Bright pinpricks of light dancing across the edge of vision betrayed the movement of creatures amongst the trees. Diefenbaker's hackles rose and he crouched ready to fight as the sloping canine silhouettes of wolves tracked our progress towards the building.

Dusty sunlight greeted us as we emerged into a clearing before the main entrance to the manor and prepared ourselves for the wolves to attack. The wight had ambled back to the mansion and was still climbing the entrance steps as we arrived. He was visibly surprised to see us alive as he descended the steps again to attack. Even aware of their presence as we were the wolves acted with such lightning speed that they caught us off balance and closed in before we could react. The reason for their preternatural speed became obvious as they closed in on us. Like everything we had encountered in this accursed place, the wolves were undead.

The tiefling Eligos was quickly surrounded by enemies but seemed unable to react. She was overcome by the foul aura of the wight and unable to move in his presence. Vic's wits also deserted him once again as he withdrew to a distance where his powers could be of no use to the rest of us.

Beset by feral wolves on all sides Minron bellowed for Vic to return to the fray as he savagely assaulted one of the lupine menaces. The great minotour's rage was enough to snap the old elf out of his malaise and restore him to usefulness. Glen and Minron took mighty swing after mighty swing at the dire wolves. Their attacks struck home repeatedly but even as their decaying flesh was further maimed at the fighters' hands the foul magic animating the creatures knit flesh and bone together once again. Gradually, blow by blow even this evil sorcery was not enough to save the wolves from blade and bow. One by one they fell to us until only the wight and one final wolf remained standing.

As we had gotten to grips with the wolves Eligos had remained at the mercy of the wight. However the tiefling Warden is as tough as she looks and had remained standing (for the most part) under his onslaught. The mage came to Eligos' aid by engulfing her, the wight and a particularly large wolf in flames. This took me a little by surprise but it turns out that the tiefling is resistant to flame and so was able to weather the storm. The attack weakened the wight sufficiently that a well placed arrow was enough to dispatch him.

We gathered our things and moved to enter the manor house. Upon retrieving my arrow from the accursed wight I discovered that the point had struck his collar bone and chipped off, rendering it useless. Such bad luck runs true with cursed atmosphere that pervades this place.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**29th Day of Garmensis – Part III**

**Silverkin Manor – Entrance Hall And Dining Room**

The manor house was a long dead husk, boarded up to prevent the incursion of the living. Formerly lime-washed walls have begun to peel under the influence of the weather. Unruly plants surrounded the structure clawing at the walls and roof as the untended orchard, free of the constraints of civilisation attempted to claim back that which was once Melora's. An iron bound oak door stood on rusted hinges atop a set of stone steps. Eligos approached it first and pushed her way into the hall.

The contrast from inside to out could not have been more marked. Light flooded into the hall through to the open door to reveal opulent carpets draped over a polished stone floor. Oak panelled walls surrounded the hallway, punctuated by double doors that led off to both left and right. A grand staircase spiralled upwards towards a landing.

Glen suggested that we explore the lower level first, so we passed between two suits of armour and through a set of doors to our left. It would seem that we burst in on dinner as we were immediately confronted by four figures hunched over a dining table large enough to accommodate five times their number. This was all difficult to make out as the only light in the room came from a large fire roaring to our left and the dirty light of several small candles throughout the room. No light came through a window on the wall opposite, which was boarded over.

My eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom and it became apparent that the beings at the table had wings and like everything else we encountered near this accursed place, rotten flesh hung limply from their undead frames. Slowly they turned their hungry dead eyes upon us.

Eligos barrelled through the door and relieved the nearest gargoyle of an arm. Vic, unusually on the ball moved in and stunned another with a spell. One after another we moved into the room and quickly began to overwhelm the dull-witted zombies. Two of them were quickly felled but before we could get to grips with the remaining two an apparition floated into the room through the north wall. At the appearance of the wraith a clamour of voices invaded my consciousness to the exclusion of the world outside. As I was overcome by the wraith's presence I was able to loose an arrow in his direction but if it had any effect I was unaware of it.

I don't know how long I was under, perhaps just a few seconds but suddenly my head began to clear and I noticed Glen standing over the prone 'body' of the wraith. A wet cutting sound over my shoulder drew my attention and I turned to see Minron engaging the two remaining zombies alone. He drew blood from one and dispatched the other outright in one graceful movement. Having come to my senses I was able to aid him by dispatching the other with a well placed arrow.

The last zombie down, Minron and I turned to aid our companions in dispatching the wraith. Immediately it became apparent that whilst its hold on me had been broken the others were all struggling with the effects of his presence. Vic, Eligos, Glen and Rodney all seemed unable to move. Whilst the others were managing to hit the wraith in their befuddled state Vic was completely addled, just standing there casting spells at the wall.

Minron joined the others in fighting the wraith hand to hand whilst I peppered him with arrows from a distance. These attacks seemed to have a diminished impact on the creature but with odds of six versus one the blows started to add up and he started to wither before our eyes. Progressively weakening he started to shift back and forth through the wall into the entrance hall to buy some space. Ultimately this proved futile as Rodney charged out and engulfed the creature in flame, taking a massive blow in the process that left him dazed and bleeding.

The monsters dispatched of, we retreated into the dining hall so that Minron and Vicrael could treat our wounds, not that I had any to speak of. Whilst the nurse-maiding went on I searched the dining room and its adjoining kitchen. It would appear that reanimated corpses don't have much of an appetite as all I found were two bottles of what Minron informs me are healing potions. I took one and the mage had another.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**29th Day of Garmensis – Part IV**

**Silverkin Manor – Return To The Entrance Hall**

We left the dining room and returned to the entrance hall to find it packed with hellish creatures. These creatures were not unknown to me; vampire spawn. It was probably no more than a few days since they were sucked dry and reborn. Decrepit skeletons animated by only the most rudimentary necromancy accompanied the blood-suckers. Immediately it became apparent that these creatures were no match for us as I stepped into the room and killed two of them. We cleaved through the massed minions with little effort, our confidence building that this room would be cleared with little effort.

Our euphoria was short lived as an unearthly scream from the balcony above announced the presence of a Skull Lord, a hooded skeleton necromancer with three faces, each of which can rotate into position. In response to the Lord's scream one of the fallen vampire Spawn rose clumsily to its feet and resumed its attack. Even the presence of the Skull Lord could not make the ramshackle hordes of undead a match for us however. For every skeleton and vampire he raised we cut down two or three and steadily worked our way towards the staircase leading to the Skull Lord.

As we pressed our attack the front doors burst open and undead wolves bounded into the room. A scuttling sound came from under the stairs quickly followed by the emergence of animated kruthik corpses blocking our path to the Skull Lord. The emergence of these more powerful foes seemed to further addle Old Vic's already fragile mind as he pleaded with me not to stray too far from him. As the rest of us continued to deal with the vampire and skeleton minions (or in my case Vic's sudden onset senility), Rodney engulfed the approaching wolves with a burst of thunder and Glen set about the two kruthik with a flurry of blows. Suddenly Vic seemed to overcome his need to be protected by me. He declared that the vampires and skeletons were beneath his notice as foes and moved forward to attack the kruthik. Twice he drew his bow and twice he released shafts. Twice he missed. Free of the old man I decided that it was past time we brought this fight to the Skull Lord. I dispatched two Skeletons and a wolf and sunk a shaft deep into one of the kruthik. Diefenbaker, Glen, and Minron surrounded the other kruthik and hacked it to pieces. Eligos stepped in and splatted the remaining Kruthik all over the bottom of the staircase.

Glen led the way up the stairs throwing an axe as he ran. In a rare moment of clarity Vic sent a bolt of energy through the skull's eye socket. The skull shattered and fell to the ground in a cascade of bone fragments. Instantly another of the Skull Lord's three faces spun into position and the fight continued. Minron bellowed his challenge and charged up the stairs. He barrelled head first into the Skull Lord sending him over onto his backside. Before the skeleton mage could react he chopped down with his sword grievously wounding our adversary. As the Lord staggered to his feet I threw my dagger at it as a precursor to a charge of my own. The dagger caught him between his hollow eyes and another skeletal face shattered. Despite this he was able to avoid my charge but not those of Glen and Eligos. As my warrior comrades surrounded the mage and rained blows down upon him I was able to retreat to a distance where I could release another shaft through his eye socket, sending the third and last skull tumbling to the ground in pieces.

No sooner had the third skull hit the floor than the remains of all three skulls coalesced, levitated and flew through one of the downstairs doors. As quiet descended on the scene Eligos noticed muffled voices coming from the other side of one of the doors on the landing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**29th Day of Garmensis – Part V**

**Silverkin Manor – The Bedrooms**

I fell in behind Eligos as she eased open the door to the bedroom. We were faced by a large window which dominated the far wall of a medium sized room. Like all of the other windows in this place it was boarded up to allow only a few miserly shafts of light into the room. Expensive tapestries hung from the walls and an opulent rug covered the centre of the floor. Most significantly there was a double bed placed underneath the window which dominated the room. On this bed there lay three captives, bound hand and foot and gagged. Eligos' response to seeing them made it clear that they were her erstwhile companions.

I noticed a weapon rack on the wall and moved over to investigate as Eligos went to untie her friends. A flail which appeared to be enchanted had caught my eye when the sound of cracking bones and rending flesh turned my attention back towards the beds. The figures that had appeared to be the missing adventurers morphed to reveal that they were in fact were-rats. Before either of us could react two of the rats surrounded Eligos and the third charged at me. Fortunately my armour was up to the task of deflecting his fangs allowing me the chance to regain my composure, back away and put two arrows in him.

I heard a commotion on the landing outside and turned to see Old Vic poke his head around the door and quickly shoot a spell at one of the rats surrounding Eligos. The distraction allowed the tiefling time to react in a most extraordinary manner. Eligos herself began to morph, her flesh twisted and bucked. The skin of her face and shoulders began to ripple as the bones and muscle beneath started to move. With juddering lurches she grew taller and wider until, where Eligos had once stood, there was a massively muscled hulking brute at least eight feet in height. Repeatedly this brutish shade of the tiefling landed massive blows to the injured rat's head until it eventually dropped still and lifeless at her feet. Vic, extending his moment of lucidity beyond his normal means proceeded to shoot a spell at the legs of the second rat causing it to fall prone at Eligos' feet.

With the remaining were-rat at Eligos' mercy I followed Vic out onto the landing where I witnessed a bloodied Rodney leading the rest of the group in fighting another rat, this one armed with a rapier and accompanied by a werewolf. The werewolf was in mid flight as a mighty blow from Minron sent him flying over the banister and down to the entrance hall below.

Finding a rat in his face Old Vic called on the power of his fey ancestors and teleported back into the bedroom. Unfortunately for him the old fool teleported himself into a corner. The rat was rather more nimble than I expected and he managed to slip past my charge, follow Vic into the bedroom and trap him. The Old man tried to jink past but the rat's reflexes were up to the task and he delivered a savage cut to Vic's torso. Fortunately for our intrepid leader the rat was so engrossed in beating on him that I was able to identify a chink in his armour and deliver an arrow straight to his heart, killing him instantly.

Whilst I rescued Vic the others had dispatched the werewolf in our absence and began to file into the bedroom. It was at this point that I noticed that Eligos was still toying with one of the were-rats. Minron, last through the door, flew into a fit of rage at the sight of the creature and slicing his own flesh to summon a berserker rage he charged the beast and clove it in two.

The lycanthropes summarily dispatched we wasted no time searching the rooms of the first floor, helping ourselves to anything of value. Tired and battered from the exertions of the day, a bed room with only one entrance was to inviting to turn down so we hunkered down to spend an enjoyable two hours listening to the dwarf snore like a hippo with catarrh.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**30th Day of Garmensis – Part I**

**Silverkin Manor – The Library**

The next day Glen awoke to find himself feverishly convulsing in his bedroll. Upon inspection Minron discovered that the werewolf had bitten him and passed on some sort of disease. Fortunately the dwarf is a hardy creature and Minron was able to heal him relatively easily. After rising and sorting ourselves out we proceeded down the stairs towards the only ground floor door which we had yet to explore.

As we descended the staircase the temperature in the entrance hall noticeably dropped. Glen pushed his way through the double doors and found himself in a lavish library. Books lined all four walls floor to ceiling with a walkway about 20 feet up to allow access to the highest shelves. On the walkway stood a human form swathed in a red robe. Vic attempted to hail the figure from our position in the doorway but before he could speak three skulls, formerly part of the Skull Lord we had dispatched, appeared before us and instructed Vic to leave.

Before we could respond three frozen zombies shambled out from between the bookcases. All the while the robed figure seemed unaware of what was transpiring beneath his feet. A fireball manifested towards the ceiling of the room and streaked towards the doorway where we were gathered. I managed to dive out of the way but the heat radiating from it still singed me. The others were less fortunate. Another four zombies, this time not frozen, appeared from amongst the books. I managed to regain my feet and dispatch two of them with arrows quickly. Eligos and Minron were also able to quickly shake off the effects of the fireball and dispatch the other two "normal" zombies.

As we moved in to take on the frozen zombies the cold radiating from them became all pervasive. We struggled to move properly for the shivering they induced. Every touch from them seared the skin and numbed the senses. All the while the triumvirate of skulls flitted amongst us flinging spells at us as they passed.

I don't know how long we fought before the robed figure deigned to notice us. It seemed like an eternity as tears froze over my eyeballs and my fingers struggled to draw back my bowstring. Eventually I heard him ask what was going on but was unable to answer as the zombies pressed their attack. Vic said something to him that sounded ridiculously polite given the circumstances. Even having witnessed our predicament he did not see fit to intervene on either side but continued to read his damned books.

We managed to dispatch all of our foes only for the robed man to complain at the mess! I called him the ignorant fool he clearly demonstrated himself to be. The next thing I knew I was flying through the air backwards into the entrance hall, only stopping when I collided with one of the suits of armour on the far wall.

I came around a few moments later and returned to the room to find the old man leading my companions to the kitchens. Apparently the old fool is Jacob Silverkin himself and the necromancer responsible for raising the dead is located in his basement.

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**30th Day of Garmensis – Part II**

**Silverkin Manor – The Basement**

Steep wooden stairs descended into a dank and dark basement. Condensation flecked bricks swam across my vision. I came to realise that I had struck my head when Silverkin threw me across the room upstairs. Last into the basement, as I looked into the dimly lit room I saw two skeleton retiarii armed with trident and net facing off against Eligos. Quickly she was engulfed by their nets but before they could press the attack Rodney pushed them back with a thunderous energy wave.

Suddenly from the shadows pale vampire spawn emerged and closed in on us. Freshly turned they hungered for their first meal. Stumbling from the last step into the basement I noticed some barrels to my left from where I could get a better vantage point. I staggered over to the barrels and leapt atop them only to find myself face to face with a vampire spawn. Without room to use my bow I took a swing at him with my sword but failed to connect. Over my shoulder I heard a mighty crash as Minron charged at the retiarii closely followed by Glenn. I couldn't see clearly but their attack didn't seem to go well and before long Minron was being driven back under a flurry of trident thrusts.

Gradually I became aware of a skittering scratching sound coming from underneath the barrel I stood upon. The others told me later that this sound had been present throughout the encounter but I had been too groggy to notice. As the vampire pressed an attack on me he disturbed the barrels and hundreds, perhaps thousands of rats swarmed into the room engulfing me instantly. The next several moments were even more of blur than those previously as innumerable pairs of tiny fangs sunk into my flesh. I struck out at the vampire who had disturbed the rodents and thought I heard a body crumple to the floor as I staggered away blindly.

The passage of time was marked only by agony. Agony which reached its crescendo with an orange flash as flames seared my skin. Rodney had dealt with the rats by engaging both them and me in a column of flame. I dropped to one knee as the roasted carcasses of rats dropped from my body to the ground. Fury engulfed me as I rose to my feet, finally with the space to use my bow. There were no longer any young vampires standing and only one of the retiarii still menaced with trident and net. My companions had been doing their jobs well. I sent an arrow clattering amongst the ribcage of the remaining skeleton and narrowly missed with another. This distraction was enough for Glenn to step in and reduce him to a pile of bones with a crashing blow from his ugrosh.

A yelp from Diefenbaker drew my attention to a new enemy in the room. The tall and graceful figure of a female eladrin withdrew the blade of a magical dagger from Dief's flank. As she turned her hooded face to mine I could see that the pale complexion so characteristic of the high elves had taken on a grey tint, the pallor of the undead.

Suddenly Vicrael teleported alongside me. He seemed to think having been swarmed by rats and roasted alive by Rodney that I was in a fit state to lend my life-force to a spell he wanted to use to poison the vampiric eladrin. I told him that if he laid a finger on me if would be the last thing he did. The senile old duffer went ahead and attacked with poison anyway. It was no surprise when the vampire was largely unaffected.

Summoning all of my concentration I sent a shaft through the creature's left eye. Amazingly she remained standing. Immediately sensing the danger this powerful being posed Minron rushed in. He impaled her on his sword and the high elf screamed in pain, the three vicious attacks in succession having some effect on her. After an initial hesitation Eligos transformed into the fearsome ram and charged home. The vampire staggered but still refused to go down. Glenn stepped into the fray and clove his axe into her torso where it stuck with a sickening squelch. The diabolical creature screamed again but still would not fall. Undeterred the stout dwarf placed his foot on her midriff and hauled the blade free. Putting all of his not inconsiderable strength behind one final blow the axe head sunk into her shoulder and penetrated deep into her chest. The vampire threw back her head and unleashed a deafening death cry. Her body suddenly evaporated around Glenn's axe and coalesced into a ghostly form floating above our heads. An eerie silence descended as it became apparent that there were no more enemies in the room.

The ghost of the vampire was drawn, as though a plug had been pulled somewhere, through a door on the far side of the room into a second chamber. As one we all turned to follow.

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**30th Day of Garmensis – Part III**

**Silverkin Manor – Epilogue**

Moving into the second chamber we encountered the robed form of a mage standing over the prone figure of an elf. His robes betrayed him as a Vampire Lord, a powerful foe indeed. He was performing some sort of chant, no doubt intending to raise the elf as another undead minion. The ghost of the eladrin vampire floated over to the mage and settled beside him. The mage went on to berate "Frieda" for failing to deal with us, as he was now too weak to do so himself. This made sense of why Eligos had been reluctant to attack the vampire. Frieda was one of the missing companions we had come here to look for. The elf on the table before the mage was their leader, Eric.

We readied ourselves to engage the powerful vampire lord but rather than engage us he evaporated, as Frieda had done, and floated out through the wall. Minron approached the prone figure of Eric and was able to treat his wounds sufficiently to bring him around. After taking a moment to gain his senses Eric told us of how the Vampire Lord had killed Frieda and resurrected her as a vampire. The lord had also killed our new friends other companion, the paladin Robert who had yet to rise as a vampire but was due to do so imminently.

Minron suggested that separating the paladin from his head would probably prevent him from rising as a vampire, logic that I could not find fault with. This "Bob" cannot have been popular with his adventuring companions as both Rodney and Eligos agreed with Minron immediately. Glen, ever the reasonable voice within the party, suggested that Jacob Silverkin seemed to be a powerful mage and perhaps we could see if he could save the paladin before we summarily executed him. Personally I think chopping his head off was the safer option but who could argue with the dwarf's logic.

It turned out that old Silverkin could resurrect the paladin in the mortal human being sense of the term, so no harm done in the end, unless your name is Frieda of course. Eric and Bob were able to reveal that the party's actions at Shadowfell Keep are likely to keep the Prince of the Undead at bay, at least for the time being. The Order's curiosity satisfied Minron, Vic and I are going to head for Fallcrest to send a report back to our superiors. In the absence of anything else to do Glenn, Rodney and Eligos have decided to join us. Silverkin offered to let Eric and Bob stay at his mansion whilst they recovered from their wounds, an offer they both jumped at.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**3rd Day of Meloramensis – Part II**

**Thunderspire Mountain**

As we progressed down the tunnel hoarse laughter and guttural voices drifted to us from further along. Soon a faint halo of light became visible in the distance outlining a wooden double door leading off from the main tunnel.

Vicrael waved the party to a stop and nodded to me. Stringing my bow I dropped to a crouch and crept up to the door. The shouts and the laughter grew louder as I edged closer but muffled by the thick wooden doors I could not make out what was being said. I notched an arrow and drew back slightly, feeling the satisfying tension of the bowsting on my fingertips. Gently I pushed the door open a crack with the point of the arrow. The old hinges creaked but the noise was easily masked by the racket coming from inside the room.

A hobgoblin soldier had been posted behind the door to detect the approach of someone such as me but he was too interested in a conversation taking place at the back of the room to notice my appearance. The door led into a narrow room with barrels stacked up against the right hand wall. The sentry was leaning back against these barrels looking back over his right shoulder to a desk perhaps fifty feet away from the door. Here a crowd of four more hobgoblins, three in chain armour armed with maces of bows, one a warcaster in red robes, were gathered around a halfling. They were taking it in turns to cuff him around the back of the head and laughing viciously.

Hobgoblins are never up to anything that's good so I took the decision that the halfling had to be freed. I released an arrow from the doorway that struck the sentry in the chest before he realised what was going on. I quickly ran into the room and saw an unoccupied bench against the left hand wall. I leapt atop it and loosed another arrow at the sentry but missed. My sudden assault took the hobgoblins by surprise and they did little more than turn uncomprehending stares at me. There was one exception however. A heavily armoured soldier with a long pike came running in from a side room shouting curses at his unwary sentry and headed straight for me.

Before he was able to get anywhere near me Vic, Dief, Minron and Glen came charging into the room. The former pair attacked the sentry, the latter the pikeman. Recovering from their initial surprise the hobgoblin soldiers formed a line centred on the pikeman. Glen, Minron and Eligos stood toe to toe with them; two shieldwalls face to face, spanning the full width of the room. For a while there was stalemate as neither side conced an inch of ground to the other. No force of goblins however can allow myself, Rodney and Vicrael to engage in combat on our own terms without suffering painful consequences. Before long our assaults began to take their toll on the pikeman. He was finally dispatched as Vic and Glen combined to separate his head from his shoulders.

The hobgoblins mainstay removed from the fray, Minron and Eligos redoubled their efforts against the remaining soldiers and drove them back towards the so far ineffectual warcaster at the back of the room. One by one the warriors fell under a barrage of spells and arrows and a flurry of blades until only the caster remained standing. Finding himself alone the mage lashed out with everything he had. A massive burst of force-energy causing Minron, Eligos and Vicreal to go crashing to the ground. For his trouble I pin-cushioned the caster with a couple of arrows, buying the warriors the time they needed to regain their feet without the hobgoblin doing further damage. A flurry of swinging weapons followed as my furious companions re-engaged with our foe, most of them wide of the mark. Despite the profligacy of our attacks the death of the warcaster was now inevitable. The final blow came from the direction of Rodney who finished him off with a magical bolt of energy.

The hobgoblins dispatched we surrounded the desk at which the Halfling had been suffering interrogation. He was now cowering beneath the table. After Vic convinced him that we meant him no harm he crawled out and introduced himself to us as Rendil Half-moon. He claimed that the hobgoblins were slavers who had been stalking his family and took him hostage when he attempted to track them to their lair. Three and a half feet tall and dressed in sturdy but unadorned brown doublet and breeches, Rendil was no warrior and would have been powerless to resist once the hobgoblins discovered him. It seems that outside of a place called the Seven Pillared Hall, which is protected by a group of mages, lawlessness is a problem in this mountain. He offered to take us to a tavern in this hall owned by his family and buy us a drink. Glen had him marching out the door leading the way before any of the rest of us had the chance to respond. I just hope he doesn't get Vicrael a full pint; I can't go through that again.

**3rd Day of Meloramensis – Part III**

**Thunderspire Mountain – The Severn Pillared Hall**

Rendil lead us out of the storeroom and back into the corridor. After only a short while we emerged into an enormous cavern that disappeared into darkness both above and in front of us. Torches mounted at regular intervals in the wall spat warm light into the void revealing squat stone buildings occupied by countless people of all shapes, sizes and races.

To our left a huge column descended from the infinite blackness of the ceiling all the way to the floor, a natural monolith of lime and water. It gave silent testament to the power of Moradin and the immense age of the cavern. This was presumably one of the "Seven Pillars" of the hall repeated another six times further into the gloom.

We followed Rendil past a wainwright's shop to be absorbed into the wall of noise caused by the presence of so many people. The sound of people buying, selling, greeting, chatting, arguing, consoling and joking, sometimes all at the same time, echoed from the invisible walls of the cavern.

The very first building we passed turned out to be a customs house populated with the usual eagle eyed tax collectors. Despite the hundreds of people milling about, the ogre on duty still managed to spot that six new faces had entered the hall. He lumbered over to us in the company of a warder, an animated bronze statue of a minotaur. He demanded ten gold pieces from each of us as a tax to pay for the upkeep of the hall. I was ready to tell them where to go but Vic and Glen must've been intimidated by the presence of the warder as they immediately started negotiating the figure down to a still extortionate five gold each. Apparently this pays for the mages to protect the hall, which is clearly all they protect with slavers running amok in the labyrinth itself.

Our purses suitably lightened we were free to move around the hall and set off once again for Rendil's tavern. It is a rather grand establishment of two stories. If was contructed of stone and sprawled out to encompass several single story extensions and outbuildings. By comparison to the Lucky Gnome in Fallcrest it was a palace. We passed under the painted sign of a yellow half moon and through a warm, welcoming entrance into the jollity of the Halfmoon Inn.

We emerged into a large room with a bar running all along the left hand side. Several round tables were arranged throughout the room with squat stools surrounding them. At Rendil's arrival a plump middle aged female halfling came bustling from behind the bar, anxious to know where he had been these past days. She was, to say the least, unhappy with his explanation and disgusted with his rash decision to try and follow the slavers. The telling off that she gave Rendil was nothing however when compared to the welcome she gave to us when she heard of our efforts in his rescue. We were immediately ushered into a private dining room at the back of the tavern.

Food, ale (wine for Old Vic) and Mrs Halfmoon appeared at regular intervals throughout the evening together with stories of the Bloodreavers and the misery they have been bringing to the halfling population within the mountain. The Bloodreavers are a gang of slavers, mainly hobgoblins but also some lesser goblins, Halflings and assorted others. They operate from deep within the labyrinth where the influence of the mages does not reach. Their hidden base is somewhere called the Chamber of Eyes which everyone knows about but few know its location. No sooner had Vic expressed an interest in dealing with these Bloodreavers than Mrs Halfmoon declared that she had a patron by the name of Terrlen Darkseeker who would know the location of the chamber if anyone did.

She sent a serving boy to fetch this Terrlen to the tavern. A short while later she introduced him to us. A middle aged man with a deeply lined face and haunted eyes joined us. He earns his living by guiding trade caravans across the Vale Road and exploring the labyrinth for treasure. It turns out that he does indeed know the location of the Bloodreavers' lair and has agreed to lead us there for a fee of 42 gold (a figure agreed after some negotiation from Glen). He is going to meet us here first thing in the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**3rd Day of Meloramensis – Part II**

**Thunderspire Mountain**

As we progressed down the tunnel hoarse laughter and guttural voices drifted to us from further along. Soon a faint halo of light became visible in the distance outlining a wooden double door leading off from the main tunnel.

Vicrael waved the party to a stop and nodded to me. Stringing my bow I dropped to a crouch and crept up to the door. The shouts and the laughter grew louder as I edged closer but muffled as they were by the thick wooden doors I could not make out what was being said.

I notched an arrow and drew back. Gently I pushed the door open a crack with the point of the arrow. The old hinges creaked slightly but the noise was easily masked by the racket coming from inside the room.

A hobgoblin soldier had been posted behind the door to detect the approach of someone such as me but he was too interested in a conversation taking place at the back of the room to notice me.

The door led into a narrow room with barrels stacked up against the right hand wall. The sentry was leaning against these barrels looking back over his right shoulder to a desk perhaps fifty feet away from the door. Here a crowd of four more hobgoblins, one of them a warcaster, were gathered around a Halfling. They were taking it in turns to cuff him around the back of the head and laughing viciously.

Hobgoblins are never up to anything that's good so I took the decision that the halfling had to be freed. I released an arrow from the doorway that struck the sentry in the chest before he realised what was going on. I quickly ran into the room and saw an unoccupied bench against the left hand wall. I leapt atop it and loosed another arrow at the sentry but missed.

My sudden assault took the hobgoblins by surprise and they did little more than turn uncomprehending stares at me. There was one exception however. A heavily armoured soldier with a long pike came running in from a side room shouting curses at his unwary sentry and headed straight for me.

Before he was able to get anywhere near me Vic, Dief, Minron and Glen came barrelling into the room the former pair attacking the sentry the latter the pikeman. Recovering from their initial surprise the hobgoblin soldiers regained their composure to form a line centred on the pikeman. Glen, Minron and Eligos stood toe to toe with them and for a while there was stalemate.

No force of goblins however can allow myself, Rodney and Vicrael to engage in combat on our own terms without suffering painful consequences. Before long our assaults began to visibly take their toll on the pikeman, obviously the groups leader. He was inevitably dispatched as Vic and Glen combined to separate his head from his shoulders.

The hobgoblins mainstay removed from the fray, Minron and Eligos redoubled their efforts against the remaining soldiers driving them towards the so far ineffectual warcaster at the back of the room. One by one the warriors fell under a barrage of spells and arrows and a flurry of blades until only the caster remained standing.

Finding himself alone the mage lashed out with a massive burst of force energy causing Minron, Eligos and Vicreal to go crashing to the ground. For his trouble I pin-cushioned him with a couple of arrows, buying the warriors the time they needed to regain their feet without the hobgoblin doing further damage.

A flurry of swinging weapons followed as my furious companions re-engaged with our foe, most of them wide of the mark. Despite the profligacy of our attacks the death of the warcaster was now inevitable. The final blow swiftly came from the direction of Rodney who finished him off with a magical bolt of energy.

After Vic convinced him that we meant him no harm a halfling by the name of Rendil Half-moon emerged from under the desk. He claimed that the hobgoblins were slavers who had been stalking his family and took him hostage when he attempted to track them to their lair. It seems that outside of a place called the Seven Pillared Hall, which is protected by mages, lawlessness is a problem here. He offered to take us a tavern in this hall owned by his family and buy us a drink. Glen had him marching out the door leading the way before any of the rest of us had the chance to respond. I just hope he doesn't get Vicreal a full pint, I can't go through that again.

**3rd Day of Meloramensis – Part III**

**Thunderspire Mountain – The Severn Pillared Hall**

Rendil lead us out of the storeroom and back into the corridor. After only a short while we emerged into an enormous cavern that disappeared into darkness both above and in front of us.

Torches mounted at regular intervals in the wall spat warm light into the void revealing squat buildings occupied by countless people of all shapes, sizes and races.

To our left a huge column descended from the infinite blackness of the ceiling all the way to the floor, a natural monolith of lime and water, giving silent testament to the power of Moradin and the immense age of the cavern. This was presumably one of the "Seven Pillars" of the hall, repeated another six times further into the gloom.

We followed Rendil past a wainwright's shop and were absorbed into the wall of noise generated by the presence of so many people. The sound of people buying, selling, greeting, chatting, arguing, consoling and joking, sometimes all at the same time, echoed from the invisible walls of the cavern.

The very first building we passed turned out to be a customs house populated with the usual eagle eyed tax collectors. Despite the hundreds of people milling about the ogre on duty still managed to spot that six new faces had entered the hall. He lumbered over to us in the company of a magically animated bronze minotaur to demand ten gold pieces from each of us. I was ready to tell them where to go but Vic and Glen must've been intimidated by the presence of the minotaur as they immediately started negotiating the figure down to a still extortionate five gold each. Apparently this pays for the mages to protect the hall, which is clearly all they protect with slavers running amok in the labyrinth itself.

Our purses suitably lightened we were free to move around the hall and set off once again to Rendil's tavern. It is a rather grand establishment, especially by comparison to the Lucky Gnome in Fallcrest. We passed under the painted sign of a yellow half moon and through a warm, welcoming entrance into the jollity of the Halfmoon Inn.

We emerged into a large room with a bar running all along the left hand side. Several round tables were arranged throughout the room with squat stools surrounding them. At Rendil's arrival a plump middle aged female halfling came bustling from behind the bar, anxious to know where he had been these past days. She was, to say the least, unhappy with his explanation and disgusted with his rash decision to try and follow the slavers. The telling off that she gave Rendil was nothing however when compared to the welcome she gave to us when she heard of our efforts in his rescue. We were immediately ushered into a private dining room at the back of the tavern.

Food, ale (wine for Old Vic) and Mrs Halfmoon appeared at regular intervals together with stories of the Bloodreavers and the misery they have been bringing to the halfling population within the mountain. They operate from their hidden base in the Chamber of Eyes which it seems everyone knows about but few know its location. No sooner had Vic expressed an interest in dealing with these Bloodreavers than Mrs Halfmoon declared that she had a patron by the name of Terrlen Darkseeker who would know the location of the chamber if anyone did.

She sent a serving boy to fetch this Terrlen to the tavern. A short while later she introduced him to us. A middle aged man with a deeply lined face and haunted eyes joined us. He earns his living by guiding trade caravans across the Vale Road and exploring the labyrinth. It turns out that he does indeed know the location of the Bloodreavers lair and has agreed to lead us there for a fee of 42 gold (a figure agreed after some negotiation from Glen). He is going to meet us here first thing in the morning.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**4th Day of Meloramensis – Part I**

**Thunderspire Mountain – The Chamber of Eyes - Antechamber**

Some sore heads greeted Terrlen the next day as he prepared to guide us through the labyrinth. A night of halfling hospitality is perhaps not the best preparation for seeking out a ruthless band of slavers. We trooped across a now quiet hall alongside an underground stream that splits the cavern roughly in two. Near the centre of the cavern is a wooden bridge which we crossed under the gaze of a giant statue of a minotaur. At the feet of the great beast a large hieroglyph pulsed with purple energy, a teleportation device as used by the master mages of the Imperium. Terrlen led us past another tavern, far less salubrious than the Halfmoon Inn and an establishment by the name of the Grimmerzhul Trading Post. From there we passed into a tunnel marked as the Road of Shadows. After perhaps half a day's walk amongst damp rock streaked with luminous lichen we emerged into an antechamber. A balcony lay at the opposite end, perhaps 30 feet away and a set of large double doors stood to our right.

Eligos and I crept forwards to the doors. Loud high pitched voices became audible from several feet away. Amongst the garble some of the words were recognisable as similar to my native giantish, clearly marking out the speakers as goblins of some form or other, surely members of the Bloodreavers.

We backed out into the tunnel to speak without being overheard. I suggested that this was the ideal opportunity to try and draw our adversaries into an ambush. Vic asked how we would go about drawing them out into the antechamber. To this Rodney replied that he was capable of creating an illusion, perhaps of something to tempt them into our clutches. I suggested that every goblin I have ever had the misfortune to meet is interested in nothing so much as his appetite and there is nothing more appealing to the goblin appetite than a large rat roasting on a spit. To my surprise the rest of the party were not over enamoured with my suggestion, especially Glen.

"Well, what's more appealing to a goblin than roasted rat?" I asked him.

"Girl goblins." Was his blunt reply and I must admit it had a logic to it that was difficult to dispute.

Rodney confirmed that he could make one of the party appear to be an attractive female goblin for a short time. After some protest from our 'fearless' leader it was decided that Vic had the best chance amongst us of successfully bluffing his way through the ruse. Before our eyes Vic was transformed into a vision of goblin loveliness, I thought the chain-mail bikini was an extra special touch from Rodney.

After teaching Vic to say "hello boys" in Goblin we all took to hiding places throughout the antechamber. Rodney clambered up onto the balcony to act as artillery, the rest of us behind boulders and scattered furniture. Girl Goblin Vic sauntered up to the doors and flamboyantly thrust them both inwards. Four goblins were huddled in conversation in the corridor on the other side of the door. Three of them turned, open mouthed, to observe the vision of beauty that had inexplicably appeared before them.

"Hello boys" Vic crooned from between pursed lips before wagging his finger at them in a 'come here' gesture.

He turned and swayed away from them into our midst. Looking back Vic took to his role altogether more comfortably than one might have expected from someone who considers himself a master of dark arts.

The three open mouthed goblins followed him to their doom without a moment's hesitation; the fourth looked on disapprovingly from the corridor. When they were suitably positioned we sprung the trap, very quickly overwhelming and killing all three of them. The commotion brought two more goblins out onto the balcony where Rodney was positioned. This must have caused him a moment's hesitation but when all was said and done two goblin corpses lay at his feet on the balcony.

The fourth Goblin came into the antechamber with a bugbear in tow. A bugbear and five goblins may well have given us some trouble but with a single goblin he stood no chance. He took a while to go down but go down he did.

.

**4th Day of Meloramensis – Part II**

**Thunderspire Mountain – The Chamber of Eyes**

After sending the bugbear to meet his maker we ventured through the doors the goblins had been hiding behind. A wide corridor stretched before us with exits to the left and right. To the left was a deserted barrack room packed to the rafters with bunks, accommodation for many more Bloodreavers than had confronted us in the ante chamber.

We pressed on to the end of the corridor where we were confronted by a set of large and ornately carved double doors. The corridor branched of to either side of the grand doorway to form a T-junction; each branch came to an end at a rather more modest door. Eligos marched up to the double doors and listened for any movement beyond. I crept along the corridor to the right and Rodney along that on the left. Rodney signalled that the door at the end of his corridor was locked. As I approached the door at the end of my corridor the sound of revelry drifted through the gloom. Reaching the door I pushed it open a crack to reveal a mess room where three halflings, three hobgoblins and two goblins were gathered around a trestle table, drinking and playing cards. I signalled to the others that there were eight hostiles behind the door unaware of our presence. I gently closed the door as Eligos barged through the double doors, quickly followed by the rest of the group. Surprised shouts and the sound steel striking steel were the immediate result but not so loud that the revellers on the other side of my door would hear them over their carousing. I left Diefenbaker to keep watch for reinforcements coming from the mess room and moved to join my companions.

As I ran through the doors it became immediately apparent why the home of the Bloodreavers was named the Chamber of Eyes. A large stone-walled chamber with a high ceiling supported by four columns, each stone in the room was adorned with the carving of a lidless eye. Floor, walls, ceiling, columns, the whole chamber cast its malevolent gaze upon us. A raised dais, perhaps the height of a man ran around three sides of the room accessible by two small flights of stairs either side of the entrance. Two doors opened onto the dais, one to my left and one to my right. Seated atop this dais the statue of an angry many-eyed god snarled a challenge at all who entered.

I coasted through the entrance at a jog to be confronted by Glen and Eligos beating up the prone figure of a vicious looking ape. Vic and Rodney were confronting three archers shooting down on us from the dais. A sound to my left revealed that the previously locked door, as checked by Rodney, was now open. As I ran I felt a stinging pain in my neck. Coming to a stop in the middle of the chamber I grasped at the offending area. My fingers closed around a spine and plucked it out. Bright red and dripping with venom it had unmistakably once belonged to the beard of a duergar. Dizzy as the poison began to take its hold on me I saw Eligos move through the door to confront this new threat.

Suddenly a hobgoblin in plate mail and armed with a pike burst into the chamber and onto the dais through the door to my left. He was closely followed by the familiar sight of a hobgoblin warcaster. As he entered his challenge reverberated from the watching walls, "You will live to regret invading Krand's lair, but not for long wretches".

Between the soldiers in the chamber, the duergar in the corridor and the thus-far oblivious soldiers playing cards in the next room we were in real danger of being surrounded. I mentioned this to Vic who immediately suggested retreating further down the corridor to create a more defensible pinch point. It is not easy however to get Eligos, Glen and Minron to disengage from a fight once begun and they paid no heed to Vic's call. An alternative strategy was required. Though we were under attack from all sides now' the Chamber itself could serve as a defensive position if we could clear the enemies within it and hold the Duergar at the door. Glen called for us press forward and redouble our efforts, a call which was immediately taken up by Rodney who engulfed two of the hobgoblin archers in flames and pressed forward up onto the dais.

Minron moved to the steps leading up to the left hand side of the dais and stood toe to toe with Krand, preventing him from getting to the floor to attack the weaker members of the party. With a mighty swing of his axe Glen dispatched the stricken ape and turned to help Eligos hold the door.

As we reasserted some level of control over the battle Rodney led the way at trying to clear the room by bombarding Krand and his pet warcaster with bolts of ice. Our predicament was due to worsen before it improved however as by diverting himself in this way Rodney allowed one of the two remaining hobgoblin archers to dash to a side door and call for reinforcements from the mess room. Both archers then loosed at Vic knocking him unconscious.

The sound of the hobgoblins coarse voice jolted me out of a poison induced reverie. Too slow to save Vic I drew back and sunk a lethal arrow into the chest of the hobgoblin who called for help. Mustering my will I quickly put three further arrows into the second archer, noticeably hurting him. I ducked behind a pillar as he turned to retaliate, he moved around the pillar to press his attack but my reflexes were too quick and all he got for his trouble was an arrow through the eye.

Footsteps quickly approaching the doorway the archer had called through became apparent. I called out to Rodney and he summoned a ball of flame to block the arriving reinforcements. The footsteps skidded to a halt quickly followed by a confused garble of goblin voices before the footsteps resumed this time fading away from the door.

As Glen and Eligos continued to hold the door from the encroaching duergar Krand and his caster were now all that kept the rest of us from assisting with the defence of the chamber. Assistance that would be badly needed once the reinforcements from the mess completed their diversion and added their weight to the assault. To that end I focused my attention on Krand, seeking a weak point in his armour. Once found I put every ounce of strength into drawing back my bow and sent an arrow to fly into Krand's neck between breastplate and helm. The shaft went deep and as he reflexively dropped his pike and raised his hands to the shaft Minron deftly gutted him with his sword leaving him to eke out his last seconds in pool of his own blood and viscera. Now only the warcaster remained standing in the room. As Vic struggled to regain consciousness the hobgoblin mage moved forward and engulfed myself, Vic and Rodney in a vicious burst of energy. The blast knocked me off my feet, as the room spun about me everything went dark and I knew no more.

I awoke, I don't know how long later, to the sound of Vic playing his bloody flute, hardly the time or place but it did make me feel a little better. The warcaster was dead and everyone was forming a scrum in the door as the reinforcements from the mess room tried to force their way into the chamber. I noticed that Rodney had moved his fireball away from the side-door into the mess. Instead of adding my weight to the scum I ran through the side-door and into the mess to flank our enemies. I skidded out into the corridor where I saw the backs of two goblin archers taking careful aim at Minron. They were blissfully unaware of my presence. An arrow to the back of the neck killed the first but the second alerted by the death of his comrade ducked into a side room. As I moved to follow him another hobgoblin emerged from the same door. Catching me by surprise as he did he was able to draw blood before I could react. Once my composure was regained however I drew my sword and dispatched him with ease. As his body slid from my blade to thump dully on the ground I noticed that the room was now quiet save for the heavy intake of breath of exhausted combatants. I looked up to see the others standing over a pile of hobgoblin and halfling corpses.

The goblin archer I had been pursuing appeared back through the door he had fled through and attempted to run past me. I managed to tackle him easily enough. In a trice he was subdued and bound, ready to be handed over to the mages in the Seven Pillared Hall.

The fight left all of us exhausted with cuts, scrapes, bruises and sore heads much the order of the day. We searched the bodies of our fallen foes and found on the corpse of one of the duergar a contract detailing the sale of slaves to another duergar by the name of Kediri. At Vic's suggestion we have decided to spend the night in the mess room before heading back to the seven pillared hall.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**5th Day of Meloramensis – Part I**

**Thunderspire Mountain – Return to the Seven Pillared Hall**

At dawn, or what passes for dawn in the permanent gloom of the labyrinth, Terrlen roused the group and led us back into the dark passages towards the Seven Pillared Hall. Time is indiscriminate in this place so it is difficult to say how long we had been walking before Terrlen doubled over in pain. He fell to the ground screaming in agony. In the guttural half light cast by the torches it was unclear at first what was going on. His screams began to be punctuated by the suck and pop of deforming flesh and dislocating bones. It became apparent that his jaw and nose were growing before our very eyes. Hair began to sprout from the back of his hands, his cheeks and his forehead and his screams became less human and more animal in sound. Presently his transformation was complete and a salivating werewolf towered menacingly over us.

Glen and Eligos did not wait for him to attack us but charged straight at him knocking him further down the corridor. Minron then joined in, sending the beast crashing to the floor. All six us proceeded to hit him with everything we had. Whatever had caused Terrlen to turn into a werewolf clearly made him incredibly tough. He managed to withstand our onslaught for quite a few minutes. Six versus one he never really had a chance though and inevitably he fell unconscious at our feet. No sooner had he done so than he morphed back into the form of Terrlen. The combined healing efforts of Minron and Vic soon brought him around.

The experience left him disoriented and he seemed to have no clear recollection of what had just happened. He did however come to realise that such a transformation has happened to him before, though he had thought it a dream. It seems that he visited a temple somewhere in the labyrinth many years ago where he was transformed. Believing it to have been a dream he does not recall where it was. Its location may be worth further investigation once we have dealt with Kediri and his cronies.

That little misadventure dealt with we continued back to the Seven Pillared Hall, this time keeping a closer eye on Terrlen's condition. Once there Terrlen handed himself over to the mages who oversee the hall and we handed over our Goblin captive. The mages were so grateful that they volunteered to waive the heinous tax they levy the next time we pass through the hall, how very generous!

Vic suggested that as we are in the Hall we may as well spend another night under the hospitable roof of the Halfmoons. Glen and Rodney decided to do some shopping and joined us a couple of hours later having bought an "elixir of accuracy" for me. Apparently I'll barely be able to miss having consumed it, we'll see I suppose. Rodney aloof as ever retired early to spend some time brewing concoctions of his own.

**6th Day of Meloramensis – Part I**

**Thunderspire Mountain – Duergar Trading Post**

We rose early and headed to the trading post by the name of Grimmerzhul in the south-east corner of the hall. Rendil informed us that this establishment is in fact owned by duergar. If one duergar in an area is involved in shady transactions then you can bet your last copper bit that the whole community at least knows about it. This seemed the perfect place to enquire about the location of Kediri.

As we approached the building I noticed a hand painted sign which read "adventurers not welcome". Not promising but we trooped in anyway to find two dark dwarves standing behind a counter. They gave us short shrift, refusing to talk to groups of adventurers in strict accordance with the sign outside. I was all for beating some respect into them but Vic offered to talk to them alone and ushered us outside.

We stood outside cooling our heels for no more than a couple of minutes when Vic came bursting out of the door with bright red duergar spines protruding from his face and neck and four angry duergar bearing down on him. Another successful negotiation courtesy of our fearless leader.

We moved as one to his aid lead by Eligos and Diefenbaker. These two managed to drive the duergar back into the shop and away from the prying eyes of the mages in the hall. Eligos' brave charge did not come without cost though as she took something of a beating for her trouble. I have come to learn however that there are few tougher than the tiefling Warden and it was nothing that she could not handle.

With a foothold in the room it was not long before we began to gain the upper hand. But just as it was becoming apparent that we would overwhelm Vic's assailants a spectral figure burst out from an adjoining room crying "who dares attack Kediri in his own home?" His boastful declaration of identity making it clear that not only did these duergar know of the slavers machinations. It turns out, they were sheltering the very duergar we were looking for! At the appearance of Kediri columns of light began to appear around the room leaving all those close to them blinded. Dief however remained unaffected and was able to attack Kediri knocking him off balance. Vic despite being blinded had the presence of mind to direct Minron to charge at the spectre and knock him prone thus taking advantage of Dief's efforts. This bought Eligos the time to summon a swirling cloud of grit and blood which lacerated the duergar whilst protecting the rest of us. With the help of Vic's spells this was enough to see off the last of the duergar soldiers. Kediri then felt the full force of our fury. For a long time he resisted, seemingly able to shrug of the effects of many of our blows but eventually the sheer weight and ferocity of our attacks toppled him.

A quick search of the shop revealed some gems, which Glen immediately declared himself custodian of, some gold coins, an ornate box which had been used as a till and on the person of Kediri himself a contract referring to supplying human and halfling slaves to a place called the Horned Hold

**6th Day of Meloramensis – Part II**

**Thunderspire Mountain – Duergar Trading Post**

We spent a few minutes ransacking the place before Glen suggested that, with the previous owners disposed of, the shop could be a useful method of selling the various weapons and armour we liberate from the slavers in the labyrinth. This would have the benefit of negating the mark-down we always suffer when selling to traders who have to sell on at a profit. I suggested that we could also sell some of the gems we have found in the past; he was less keen on that.

As we discussed who would run the shop for us in our absence (quickly deciding that Splug, a goblin that Glen, Rodney and Eligos found in Shadowfell Keep, Bob and Eric would be just the people for the job and mulling over how to get them over from Silverkin Manor) a tiny (even by their standards) kobold emerged from his hiding place behind a packing crate. The scrape and skitter of drawn weapons coupled with the full attention of all six of us sent him cowering into a corner.

"Who are you creature and why do you skulk about in this shop?" Glen asked him.

After much stammering and grovelling prostration he revealed that his name is Charrak and that he looked after the shop when the duergar were away. Though they were cruel and often beat him he had nowhere else to go and had stayed on for most of his life. Vic could see no hint of deceit in the creature so we offered him his old job but working for us instead. He accepted our offer without hesitation. As luck would have it he had overheard enough of the conversations amongst the duergar to have learned the location of the Horned Hold and was able to draw us a map.

We left him with five gold pieces to pay the mages to set up a teleportation link between the shop and Silverkin Mansion. Glen wrote a note for him to give to Eric explaining the situation and we set off immediately for the Horned Hold.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**6th Day of Meloramensis – Part III**

**Thunderspire Mountain – Horned Hold, Entrance**

Charrak's map was good and I was able to lead us to the Hold with few mishaps. After about half a day the oppressive tunnels turned into a series of large caverns, criss-crossed by deep gorges that disappear to unknown depths. Shortly thereafter we were confronted by the front of a formidable fortress sitting on the other side of and surrounded by a particularly wide gorge.

We crept from rock to rock gradually getting closer to the stronghold. From our hiding place we could see a gated and crenulated wall, accessible only by crossing a narrow causeway. This was not the main part of the Hold however. Behind the gated wall we could see in the distance a bridge leading to the centre of the Hold on the other side of the gorge. To access the Hold we had to cross the causeway with a sheer drop to our right and a cliff face extending up into darkness to our left. We then had to negotiate our way through the small gate sealed by a portcullis, all the while being overlooked by a series of small windows perfect for sheltering snipers. Should we make it through the gate we had no idea what lay inside between us and the bridge.

I then noticed two orcs standing behind the portcullis and felt a cold fury spread through my bones and bloodlust cloud my vision. Vic stayed my hand however, deciding that we should attempt to gain entrance by subterfuge rather than break ourselves upon the walls of the fortress. He instructed Rodney to hide his weapons and strode forward towards the portcullis with the human mage in tow.

After the pair had covered roughly half the distance from our hiding place to the gate they were challenged by the orcs. Vic declared that he had been sent by Kediri with this human to sell. After a brief discussion between themselves the orcs sent out a halfling to collect them. As the halfling met our companions he produced a rope to tie Rodney's hands. As Rodney put his hands forward to be bound the Halfling spotted his magic orb concealed up his sleeve and asked loudly what it was.

Vic and Rodney cut their losses. Rodney charged the gate and cast a thunderous wave of energy at the orcs behind it. Vic drew his sabre to stab the incredulous halfling. The rest of us broke cover to rush to their aid. Despite Rodney's thunderwave the orcs managed to seal the portcullis and began to jab at the mage through the gaps with their spears. More orcs appeared behind the gates and three more halflings armed with slings appeared in the windows above to pelt Vic with shot, quickly knocking him out.

Glen and Eligos charged the gate in an attempt to force it open but found their efforts foiled by the strength of the lock. Glen took to returning the stabs of the orcs through the gaps in the portcullis with the spear end of his ugrosh but Eligos was too hampered by it to have much effect with her flail.

As this was happening I was so consumed with rage that I could do nothing other than send shaft after shaft at the orcs behind the gate. I was concerned with nothing other than the destruction of these foul beasts, though I had little success. Minron had rushed to the aid of our stricken leader. He easily killed the halfling that had left the safety of the hold and revived Old Vic. Having thus saved the day he charged to join the others at the gate and in a feat of strength only possible from a battle crazed Minotaur, ripped the portcullis from its housing, shattering the lock as he did so.

The gate now removed Glen, Eligos and Minron pressed into the hold to attack the orcs, killing them all with relative ease. Vic and Rodney cleared the halflings from the windows with projectiles, killing all except one who ran down a ladder and managed to escape through a double door on the other side of the courtyard.

The disappearance of the last halfling brought quiet to the courtyard. After allowing Vic a moment to clear his head and catch his breath we all followed the fleeing halfling.

**6th Day of Meloramensis – Part IV**

**Thunderspire Mountain – Horned Hold, Armoury**

I crept ahead of the rest of the party and moved through the doors where the halfling slinger had fled. I emerged into a small corridor with several rooms leading from it in all directions. As I searched the rooms one by one my companions followed a short distance behind. Close enough to come to my aid if needed but far enough away to avoid drawing attention to us by their noisy footfall.

After searching two bedrooms and a storeroom the clash of metal being wrought and the roar of forges being stoked became apparent from behind doors at the end of the corridor. A quick search revealed that there was another route into what was obviously a smithy. The route passed through a small antechamber with a water trough in it, probably used to cool hot iron.

Peeking around the door I could see two orcs and a duergar being told by the halfling that enemies have breached the gate. I quickly called everyone forward to rush in through the two doors and capture them in a pincer. As we were organising ourselves into two groups the muffled voice of the halfling could be made out through the door.

"they're right outside the door" He cried, his voice followed by the sound of quick scuttling footsteps.

The element of surprise gone we burst through the doors as one and noticed a third orc in the room. Eligos and Glen formed a barrier in the main entrance backed up by Vic. Myself, Rodney and Minron charged in through the second door to catch them on two sides.

The three orcs quickly went up against Glen and Eligos forming a shield-wall in the doorway. Vic cast a spell on the duergar which seemed to allow him to control the dark dwarf's mind. Whatever the cause the duergar quickly fell upon his orc comrades rather than us.

Charging in through the second door we quickly dealt with the halfling and turned our attention on the confused duergar. We seemed to be gaining the upper hand when two spectral forms appeared through a wall behind Vic, leaving him horribly exposed all of a sudden. Looking back these last minute reinforcements making life difficult for us seems to be a recurring theme of the last few days.

Vic quickly ran away from this new threat but not before taking a few swipes from spectral claws. The distraction allowed the duergar to recover from Vic's domination and cast one of those infernal columns of light, blinding Vic, Minron, Rodney and myself.

The enemy pressed their attack whilst half of the party was incapacitated but Glen was up to the task. He adopted a ready posture and struck with unerring accuracy and ferocity at any opponent who found itself within his range.

Slowly my vision cleared. Once it had I wasted no time in putting arrow after arrow into the orcs killing two of them before turning on the duergar and wounding him. I finished off the duergar by interrupting him as he attempted to blind us again, as he fell to the ground I saw Glen dispatch the last orc.

We all turned on the wraiths but they seemed to be partially unaffected by our weapons. Glen and Minron set about knocking them to the ground to leave them at our mercy as we finished them off.

Vic has taken a severe beating since we arrived at the Hold so we have decided to hole up in one of the bedrooms for the night.

**7th Day of Meloramensis – Part I**

**Thunderspire Mountain – Horned Hold, The Great Hall**

I stood watch last and took advantage of the opportunity to scout out our surroundings, with a view to figuring out our next move. The building we occupied had two possible exits, to the north-west a narrow doorway leading to an equally narrow bridge crossing the deep gorge that so terrified Vic on our initial approach to the hold. To the south-east a set of double doors leading into a narrow tunnel hewn out of the mountain itself.

Standing on the bridge I could see another wider bridge off to the left perhaps 70 or 80 feet away. Both bridges lead to a bastion forming the central stronghold of this fortress. The wider bridge emerged from another building further along from the one we find ourselves in and must be accessible via the tunnel to the south east.

There appears to be no other method of crossing to the central portion of the Hold. As I roused the others ready to move on I suggested that by travelling through the tunnel to the second bridge it may be possible to eliminate all enemies on this side of the gorge and prevent an attack from our rear when assaulting over the bridge.

The party agreed and we travelled though what turned out to be a relatively short tunnel into hallway with three rooms leading from it. It was at this point that I learned that Rodney has a spectral rat as a pet, named Hawkeye. He sent the rat underneath the three doors to see what lay beyond them. However after disappearing under the third door the rat did not return. After a little while Eligos peered under the door herself and could see several pairs of boots milling around, at least one pair of which were very grand indeed.

We pushed through the door to find ourselves in a Great Hall confronted with yet more duergar. Three large tables dominated the room and a roaring fire crackled and snapped behind our adversaries. These duergar were keeping company with some re-animated skeletons, which makes a nice change from the orcs their comrades have been spending their time with in this place. They screamed their challenge and we charged them. They gave us little trouble and the fight was notable for only two things. Firstly my inability to hit anything or anyone with an arrow and secondly that one of the duergar quadrupled in size mid way through the fight. Quite a sight but it availed him of nothing as we cut him down regardless.

We killed them all. As we closed in on the last duergar he screamed at us that Mirklemoor is in the western fortress and will kill us all. He would tell us no more and refused to surrender. I disarmed the wretch and forced him back against the wall at the point of my sword.

"My mother was taken by slavers like you." I snarled at him. "One day I will send them where I'm sending you. This Mirklemoor will not stop me." With that I drove the point of my sword through his throat. Bathed in his own blood he slid to the floor looking upon the world for the last time.

With the duergar dispatched we searched the rooms of this new building and discovered three human slaves, timid filthy wretches who looked like they hadn't eaten properly in some time. We gave them some weapons and provisions and offered to pick them up on the way back or give them directions back to the Seven Pillared Hall. They are going to wait for us.


	12. Chapter 12

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

7th Day of Meloramensis – Part II

Thunderspire Mountain – The Horned Hold, Western Fortress

There was only one way forward from our position. As I expected, a set of double doors opened onto the second bridge. As Eligos pushed the doors open she was caught full in the face by some sort of slime. The mucus clung to her and sizzled loudly as it ate at the flesh or her face and neck. The culprits quickly became apparent, two zombies stood behind a thick iron bound door at the other end of the bridge, peering at us through a hatch.

The cadavers dripped with slime and their stench, though stench hardly does it justice, perhaps taste would be a better description, was nauseating even from a distance of 60 feet. Heedless of the smell Minron ran to try and force the door open but it resisted even his massive strength. Rodney summoned a column of flame behind the door to burn the zombies, though if they were hurt by it they showed little sign. I attempted to shoot them through the hatch but missed twice. Glen ran up the hatch and stabbed the spear end of his ugrosh through the gap at the zombies' faces causing them to retreat a couple of steps.

Overcome by uncharacteristic bravery Vic took advantage of their retreat to teleport to the other side of the door and unlock it from the inside. He got swarmed by three duergar soldiers for his trouble. Hearing the click as the lock mechanism released the doors Minron shoved them open, reached into the room, grasped Vic by the scruff of his neck, hauled the half-elf bodily into the air and deposited him back on the bridge out of harm's way. He then stepped forward roaring his defiance and taking Vic's place amongst our enemies.

Rodney moved up behind Minron and sent a thunderous blast of energy into the room engulfing Minron, the duergar and the zombies. Minron stood his ground unfazed as our enemies staggered backwards, away from the door. Eligos, Glen and Minron took advantage of the space Rodney created and pushed forwards into the room.

The three of them disappeared behind the door, lost to the din of battle. I could see the corpulent zombies spit where my friends must've been and then hear the hiss of their corrosive phlegm as it ate away armour and flesh. Suddenly the loud crash of a door flung back on its hinges rang out above the din. There followed a brilliant flash of light to which the world surrendered its presence.

A high pitched whine filled my ears, blocking all other sound. White light permeated my entire field of vision. To all intents and purpose noting existed outside the extents of my body. Except my bow. I could feel the sweat smoothed leather grip in my left hand, the brooding tension of the string in my right. My enemies could not have moved far, even blind and deaf I am still a dangerous opponent.

I reached into my quiver, drew my fingers across the resin smooth poplar shaft of an arrow, up and over the coarse feathers of the fletching until they settled upon the nock. Without thought, through the practised movement of countless shots, I notched the arrow and heaved upon the string. The goose feathers tickled my cheek and the soft thrum of the tensioned string resonated in my ear. I loosed and the arrow slapped its way through the length of the draw and out into the void.

Perhaps a minute passed in darkness. When my vision eventually cleared a devilish imp with a scorpion's tail was attacking one of the duergar. Immediately after successfully striking the duergar the imp vanished from sight. I later learned that Rodney is able to summon the creature. That human is just full of tricks.

One of the zombies and one of the duergar seemed to have disappeared. There were however two piles of ashes on the ground suggesting they had been incinerated. I assumed that this was the work of Rodney but later learned that the source of the blinding light was a duergar Theurge who had slaughtered his own companions in a ball of flame in order to attack our party. By remaining outside the room I had escaped unharmed.

My vision restored I set my sights on the last remaining zombie and sunk two arrows into him, this was sufficient to see him returned to the underworld. Moving into the room I resolved to dispatch the Theurge and sent another two arrows at him, both of them wide of their mark however. The room was another entrance hall, similar to those we had seem as we entered the previous two sections of the hold with three doors leading from it. Part of the ceiling had collapsed leaving rubble strewn across the floor.

Only two duergar soldiers and the Theurge remained now. The rest of the group moved to overwhelm them but before they could press the attack the Theurge summoned a hail of molten stones down upon our heads. The blanket of molten rock was sufficient to knock myself, Diefenbaker, Rodney and Old Vic to the ground. The heat of the stones seared and cauterised flesh. The smell of roasting meat instantly became all pervasive, a rival even to the lingering stench of the dispatched zombies.

A swipe of Glen's ugrosh was sufficient to cleave through the Theurge and into one of the remaining soldiers, Killing them instantly. I picked myself up and put an arrow into the chest of the last soldier. He staggered to one of the doors opened it and cried out

"Mirklemoor they've broken throu..."

He was unable to finish his sentence as my second arrow passed through the back of his neck and came to rest protruding from his mouth.

Battered and bruised myself, Vic, Dief, Minron and Rodney all bore visible wounds from the skirmish. A rest was seriously called for but Mirklemoor having been alerted to our presence required us to press on.

7th Day of Meloramensis – Part III

Thunderspire Mountain – The Horned Hold, Western Fortress

We stepped over the dying duergar and through the door into a tunnel, perhaps ten feet wide. After a few feet the tunnel abruptly turned to the left and stopped at a set of double doors. Eligos pushed the doors open to reveal a large chamber with a high vaulted ceiling, a temple of some sort. Much of the ceiling had fallen down to carpet the floor in rubble. In the centre of the room, raised upon a dais, stood a large statue of a roaring minotour. Immeasurably old it had lost large portions of its face and upper torso either to age or falling pieces of ceiling. In the four corners of the room miserly torches spat and hissed, drawing on the last of their fuel to send a deep orange glow into the chamber. Shadows danced across the room where the light flickered across the strewn rubble, playing across the features of the battered minotaur. From the corner of one's eye it almost looked as though he was laughing at us. Directly across from us stood another open door the only other exit from the temple.

Scattered about the room there were six corpses with few signs of decay, whatever had killed them had killed them recently. From high up in the ceiling there sounded the flutter of wings heralding the descent of jet back raven to the centre of the room. As he landed he transformed from raven to elf before our very eyes. The elf was wearing the robes of a druid which bore on them in several places symbols of the Raven Queen. Myself, Vic and Minron all noticed these instantly and glanced speculatively at each other. The elf's fearful gaze flickered about the room searching for an unseen enemy as he warned us

"You fools its a trap". No sooner had the words escaped his mouth than a sickening tearing sound filled the chamber. With a slam the door behind us and the door on the other side of the chamber closed, sealing us in. All the while the tearing noise continued.

The sound came from the six corpses littering the floor. They began to writhe and thrash about and their skin rippled as though the bones beneath were attempting to tear themselves free. One by one the skins of the corpses split from collar bone to navel. They rose unsteadily to their feet and as they did so bones and vital organs spilled out of the freshly torn torsos to pile on the floor. Immediately the empty shells of flesh swarmed around the elven druid and attacked him.

Before any of us could react Dief leapt to the druid's defence, running into the centre of the room and savaging one of the shells. The distraction bought the druid time to transform again but not this time into a raven, instead he became a hulking bear. Taking a step back he opened his maw and a swarm of locusts burst forth, engulfing the shells.

Myself, Rodney and Vic followed Dief into the room and engaged with the hideous things, though to little effect until Minron charged in. He barrelled straight into the nearest monstrosity, sending it tumbling to the ground with a wet slap. He then raised his arms at the ceiling, threw back his head and bellowed a plea to the Raven Queen. She responded with a massive column of light that shot down from the ceiling more quickly than we could comprehend. As it struck the ground a great rumble shook the mountain itself, sending more rubble cascading from the ancient ceiling.

Whilst the impact of the column shook the room and sent us scrambling for balance its effect on those abominable shells was akin to being struck by a bolt of lightning. The radiance seared their flesh and the shockwave sent them flying across the room to strike wall, floor or statue and land in a dazed heap.

Glen and Eligos followed Minron into the centre of the chamber to take advantage of the chaos he had wrought. Eligos had once again transformed herself into some sort of diabolical brute. As she passed Minron I noticed for the first time that in this form she is even bigger than the minotaur.

Other than with the assistance of the Raven Queen our attacks were slow to make an impression on the shells. After a while the sound of tumbling rubble brought our attention to one of the dark corners of the temple. Here another boneless sack of flesh rose from beneath the piled debris of the fallen ceiling. The distraction allowed the other shells to surround and overwhelm Diefenbaker. I was brought to attention by his yelp as one of the shells enveloped him completely. It draped itself over him via the tear through which it had shed its bones. Once over him it constricted to form a tight bag over his whole body. Dief's sense of fear and disgust permeated our bond and invaded my consciousness. The smell of blood floated across my nostrils and the gelatinous ooze of internal juices seemed to run across my skin.

As Dief thrashed against the inside of his fleshy prison the shape of paws and the impression of canine maw flowed across the abomination's skin. If he ever had any real chance of freeing himself it was instantly negated as a second shell enveloped the first, doubling Diefenbaker's woes. The shifting impressions of a struggling wolf within continued through a second skin but less noticeable and progressively weaker.

As Dief was being enveloped other shells attempted to attack Eligos and Minron. In her demonic form Eligos was simply too big for them to get a grip on. Minron was a similar challenge but one them did manage to envelop his left arm and most of his head. The minotaur lifted his right arm over his head, grasped the sheet of skin trying to envelop him and yanked with all of his considerable might but his grip was not strong enough. His hand slipped free and the shell maintained its tenuous grip. His failure sent the minotaur into a rage. He drew his sword and flailed wildly at one of the shells enveloping Dief with such force that its head was removed from its shoulders. Thus dispatched it relinquished its grip on Dief and slid to the floor, as gruesome a floor rug as you'll ever see.

His bonds loosened Dief renewed his efforts to break free. Alone and next to an enraged minotaur the last shell engulfing Dief must have sensed his vulnerability and moved towards his allies at the back of the room, dragging the wolf with him. At the approach of helpless prey two further shells turned their hungry gaze upon Dief.

Summoning all of my concentration I quickly loosed two arrows at the head of the shell enveloping my companion. Both struck home but were not sufficient to loosen his grip. As Dief's captor completed the journey to his friends two further shells enveloped him, adding their strength to his. Slowly inexorably Dief's prison contracted around him. The feint sound of cracking bones and the pop of joints leaving their sockets could be heard through the triple layered prison together with shrieks of pain.

Suddenly the world seemed to shrink around me. Noticeable by their absence my senses were no longer as sharp as I had been used to for years. I could no longer smell the blood and gore of the inside of the undead shells but more than that was gone. The half demon Eligos had, I realised, been distinguishable by a slightly sulphurous aroma. The dwarf and the human each had their own scent, previously detectable even through the layered sweat of several days adventure. The sounds of battle; a shifted stance here, an adjusted grip there had reduced to merely the clash and rasp of blades in combat. Everything about me was suddenly further away, less intimate, quieter, duller. Because Diefenbaker was dead.

The three shells that held him peeled away one after the other until finally the innermost, his jailer, released the limp body of my wolf brother. Caked in the organic slime of the human interior, his fur matted, tongue lolling to one side, eyes open in a final lifeless stare, he fell to the floor and I screamed my fury and despair to all the corners of the earth. But violent death was not enough. Indignity had to be heaped upon my friend as well. Barely had he touched the floor when his corpse began to writhe and convulse, movement easily mistakable for the death throes familiar to any who have witnessed a violent demise. But these throes were more sinister in nature. They were followed by the tearing sound that first signalled the perils of this temple. Sure enough his flesh parted to spill canine bones upon the floor and Dief rose from death to menace us as another of these infernal creatures.

Despair quickly gave way to fury, uncontrollable remorseless fury. I dropped my bow, drew my sword and fell upon the abominations responsible for Diefenbaker's end. I don't remember what happened, how long it lasted or whether I had any help but after a frenzy of slashing, crying, biting, screaming, scratching and tearing three great folds of skin lay motionless at my feet.

I felt a searing heat to my left and turned to see the risen shell of Diefenbaker smouldering after a flaming assault from Rodney. This was quickly followed by savage attacks from Glen and Vic. I bellowed at them to leave the wolf alone. So quickly after his demise I still hoped to rescue him, tales of mortal resurrection are not so rare as to be impossible. I turned my attention upon Dief as the battle continued on around us. Minron, freed from the shell that tried to engulf him, Glen and Eligos advanced on the three remaining shells, beating them back from the elven druid they seemed so intent on killing.

Undead eyes regarded me from within the shell of Diefenbaker. Whereas before we always knew what the other was thinking and experiencing, at least to some extent, now there was nothing. Just the flat stare of the hungry dead. I reached a hand towards him in the hope of igniting some form of recognition, an indication that some spark of my brother wolf remained within. He flinched but did not attack me. Not I think, because of any lingering affection but because this druid attracted the shells to him in some way. He fled from my presence and barged into the druid with such force that even in the form of a great bear he toppled to the ground.

Immediately the three remaining shells leapt upon the prone figure of the bear and attempted to engulf it between them. Without any resistance from the druid they managed to enclose most of him and begin their dreadful constriction. Suddenly all three of the abominations collapsed inwards with a jolt as the figure of the druid shrunk to a roughly human size and shape. Clearly he had returned to his elven state.

My companions quickly re-engaged with the druid's attackers and began hacking them to pieces. The combined assault of my friends was sufficient to get the shells to relinquish their grip on druid who fell unconscious to the floor and transformed into the raven which first greeted us in this accursed place. So intent were the others in their attack that they turned their backs on the shell of Dief. He turned on them with such malice that I became convinced no portion of his mind remained. With my sword gripped in two hands I bore down on the abomination of my companion and swung with all my might. With no skeleton to provide resistance his head was easily separated from his shoulders and he slumped to the floor dead.

Discarded, my sword clattered to the ground as I stooped to pick up the flayed skin of my friend. I carried it over to where his bones lay discarded and draped it over them. Gradually the others, having dispatched the other shells, made their way quietly over to me and we stood in a silent circle around him for a time. Eventually our silence was broken by Eligos who had returned to her Teifling form.

"I think this druid is still alive".

My companions moved over to the unconscious druid. With a lingering glance I tore myself away from the remains of Diefenbaker and joined them. Dropping to my knees I gently picked up the raven with both hands, he was astonishingly light, no heavier than a single arrow. Minron and Vicreal gathered in close around me to use their healing skills upon him. Suddenly his wings fluttered and the raven flew up to the ceiling before coming to rest on the minotaur statue.

As he did so everything in the room came into sharp focus. Colours became brighter and objects became more defined, even in the furthest, darkest corners of the temple. I could see clearly the details on the collapsed parts of the statue. I could feel tiny variations in the temperature around me and sense fluctuations in air currents, where it was rising to the ceiling and where it was falling to the ground. A male voice, weary but thankful, sounded in my head.

"You are called Hogar?" I turned my attention to the raven perched on the shoulder of the minotaur statue. Intelligent eyes stared straight at me.

"Yes". I replied aloud, drawing confused glances from the others. "How do you know my name?"

"I reached out with my mind and found an opening into yours, a void if you will". His voice came to me. "I see from your thoughts that is was occupied by your companion over there. I'm sorry for your loss, these creatures were responsible for the deaths of my companions and would surely have eventually killed me if you had not come to my aid. My name is Rook and you and your companions have my sincere thanks."

It seems this Rook had been part of an adventuring party looking to stop the bloodreavers just as we are. He and his party fell into the same trap as us but without someone to warn them were quickly overwhelmed by the forsaken shells, Rook was the only one to survive and was only able to do so by transforming himself into a raven and hiding in the vaulted ceiling. I asked whether he could change back into an elf. He says he cannot and is unsure whether he ever will be able to, his state seems to be some side effect of being entrapped by those things.

He and I seem to be bound together. He has somehow occupied the link I shared with Diefenbaker and our minds are open to each other. Though Dief's mind was sharp, being bound to the mind of an elf is a very different and strange experience that will take some getting used to. For now, exhausted as we are, we are going to barricade ourselves in this temple and take some time to recover.

Shortly before taking the first watch Rodney spoke to me privately for the first time since we met. He said that Dief's spirit is still present in this temple and that, if I wished it, he could summon it back to the mortal realm as a spectre. I asked him if he could sense Dief's consciousness and he replied that he could. I said that I did not imagine Diefenbaker would wish to disturb the ordained order of life and death according to the Raven Queen and would prefer to face whatever lies beyond. The mage confirmed that this was so but both he and the wolf would ease my suffering by performing the ritual if I wished it. I admit it is tempting but we will leave my brother to the long rest, he has earned it. For my part I am so shocked a the mage removing his head from the clouds to engage with me that I fear I will sleep little this night.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)**

**Year 781 of the founding of the City**

**8th Day of Meloramensis – Part I**

**Thunderspire Mountain – The Horned Hold, South Gate**

I was roughly roused from fitful dreams of Diefenbaker's last moments by Glen who was on watch. He was alerting us to a presence in the chapel. As we sprang to our feet and readied weapons a deep rumble echoed around the chamber. The rumble was pierced by an ominous cracking as a large section of ceiling fell to the ground. As the dust cleared it became apparent that a large chunk of masonry was blocking our progress through the chapel. After some arguing as to what to do next we settled on what was really our only option, to retrace our steps and look for another route to Mirklemoor.

Moving back into the landing where we encountered the foul smelling zombies we proceeded along another corridor. As we approached an iron bound door loud voices became apparent. They were speaking in what both Eligos and I recognised immediately as giantish. My heart raced at the prospect of facing orcs. Killing some of my despised kin would be some solace in the face of the loss of Diefenbaker. Eligos could make out four distinct voices bawdily discussing their success in some previous skirmish. I motioned for the others to drop back into the darkness of the corridor and barged my way into the room. Three orcs sat around a rough wooden table clutching tankards. Their discarded weaponry carelessly rested against thighs or on the table top. In one corner crouched an ogre gnawing on a suspiciously large looking bone. Between mouthfuls of marrow he was regaling his comrades with tales of the loot he had taken from some town or other.

"You dolts! The prisoners are escaping". I barked at them as I burst through the door. Four fanged faces turned to look at me without comprehension. "Fools!" I screamed. "Get over the bridge and after them before they get away".

As dull witted as they looked none of the four dared to question someone of the orcish race who spoke with such authority. They lumbered to their feet as one and moved towards the door. Barely had they got into their stride when Minron came barrelling through the door head lowered and charged into the nearest archer. Tankard, orc, chair and bow went crashing to the ground. I quickly sank an arrow into one of the other orcs as the rest of the party came through the door, weapons at the ready.

As he came though the door Vic made use of the black magic he has been studying of late and uttered a curse at the nearest orc. As he did so I noticed a change in him that I could swear has happened overnight, though perhaps I've just failed to notice before. He had taken on a sallow hue. His waxy skin seemed to hang taught over his bones and his eyes were dull and hollow with a haunted look about them.

As we moved to attack the slavers the ogre reacted with a lightning speed that we did not expect. He smacked Minron with a wooden club itself nearly the size of the massive minotaur. Glen, immediately reacted to the threat posed by the giant ogre by circling around behind him to take advantage of the brute's preoccupation with Minron and sliced him with his ugrosh. Though not devastating the attack clearly surprised the ogre who yelped out in pain and turned his attention to the plucky dwarf. Amazingly, despite being five times his size the ogre seemed somewhat cowed by the determination of the stalwart fighter.

The orcs, though much more nimble than the orge must have been considerably slower of wit. Throughout these initial moments of struggle they remained standing around the table open mouthed. Rodney ensured that such reticence did not go unpunished as with a gesture he caused the table to erupt into a searing column of flame which roasted the flesh of all three of them. The stench of seared orc awoke my hatred of the creatures that have caused me so much suffering over the years. I notched an arrow and loosed it to bury itself in the breast of the prone orc as he struggled back to his feet. Quickly I notched another and put it through his left eye and into his brain thus ending his life. Another of my evil brethren sent to collect the skulls of his dispatched foes from Grummush.

The death of his comrade unnerved one of the remaining orcs and he ran towards a double door at the other end of the room. His friend showed altogether more bravery and stepped across to cover his retreat and throw a poorly directed hand-axe at Minron. Eligos saw the fleeing orc and transformed herself into her brute form to give chase. As he placed his hand on the door handle the unfortunate orc was hit full in the face by Eligos' flail. Blood erupted from his snout but to his credit the beast did not go down.

Despite the failure of the orc to reach the door it swung open unaided, creaking on its hinges to reveal a pitch black void beyond. Rough moaning emanated from the darkness, the unmistakeable tortured voice of the long undead. Slowly a mummy shambled forth, foetid strips of linen hung loosely from him swinging in counter-motion to his pendulous gait. The sight of the creature made my heart constrict in my chest. Somehow he seemed to emanate a feeling of dread. Minron, who later admitted to experiencing the same fear, dealt with it by charging headlong into the mummy sending the reanimated corpse crashing to the ground.

Our attention was drawn from the new arrival by the smack of the ogre's club connecting with Glen's head. However by turning to face the dwarf the ogre left himself open to an attack from Old Vic who unleashed a dark bolt of energy from his wand. A shadowy tether formed between the orge and Vicrael's wand that seemed to drain the beast's energy. His misery was further compounded as Glen and Rodney followed up with vicious attacks of their own. The valour of my companions had left the ogre visibly stunned but still he fought on. My thirst for the blood of orcs temporarily sated at the death of the first orc I turned my attention on the ogre and sent two arrows into his gullet, killing him. As the giant toppled I glimpsed an orc drawing back to strike at Minron. I put a third shaft into his armpit causing him to miss the minotaur. This last misfortune and the death of two of their comrades was enough to send both remaining orcs fleeing through the door and into the darkness, Minron's assailant trailing black blood from his wound.

Only the mummy now remained to threaten us. Eligos and Minron bore down on his prone form slashing at him with sword and flail tearing putrid flesh from rotten bone. Even under such an assault the mummy managed to regain his feet. As he did so flesh and bone knit together to make it appear that his ordeal had never happened. Thus unscathed he swung a fist at Minron and struck with such force that the mighty minotaur staggered back a step. The attack availed him little though as Minron simply used the space between them to charge the mummy and once again send him sprawling on the floor.

Vic stepped forward and engulfed the mummy and Eligos in a gout of flame. The flames had no effect on the tiefling but the mummy fared less well. The musty linen enshrouding his entire form burst instantly into flame. His low moan raised several octaves to become a shrill squeal as he staggered about in agony his arms flailing wildly. Glen took a step towards the mummy and with a mighty heave sent the blade of his ugrosh into his exposed neck to cleave halfway into the creatures chest. The mummy grasped the shaft of the axe even as he dropped to one knee. Glen placed a boot on the mummy's shoulder and heaved the weapon free, releasing a torrent of blood and another scream from our foe. Eligos and Minron both charged into to stricken mummy sending it crashing to ground to ooze blood and other unspeakable substances into the flagstones. An eerie silence filled the room.

The silence was broken by a wet sucking noise and the return of the familiar undead moan of the zombie. The creature rose to its hands and knees, all the while dripping gore onto the floor as the great rent in its torso sealed itself before our very eyes. The monster, bandages singed and soaked in crimson blood, turned on Glen and punched him in the face. The blow splattered the dwarf's face in gore. Minron rushed to Glen's aid and knocked the mummy over once again. Glen immediately chopped his axe down on the creature's neck nearly severing it but even with the merest slip of flesh holding his head to his shoulders the mummy tried to rise and continue its attack.

Rodney brought matters to a head by calling for us to step aside. He raised his magic orb above his head and engulfed the mummy in a blast of searing energy. The creature screamed one last time as his body disintegrated to land on the floor as a pile of dust.

As we followed the trail of orcish blood into the darkness Glen fell in beside me to point out to me that the ogre was on his last legs when I stepped in and dispatched him. Utter nonsense obviously but I've learned that it's best to humour him. I noticed that he was sweating slightly before the dark engulfed us, I hope that mummy wasn't carrying some sort of contagion.

**8th Day of Meloramensis – Part II**

**Thunderspire Mountain – The Horned Hold, Slave Pits**

Pitch darkness slowly gave way to a deep red glow cast by dying embers from an abandoned fireplace. The dim light revealed a wooden door through which muffled voices could be heard. Eligos pushed through the door and into an antechamber from which two further doors exited, one to the left and one straight ahead.

The threshold ahead lay open to reveal a bedchamber. The room was split into two levels by a small flight of stone steps and bathed in the orange light of two further fires, these were well tended and roared warmth into the room. Their low illumination flickered over the sardonic countenances of several gargoyles adorning the walls. The dance of light and shadow across their features gave them a somewhat mischievous expression, perhaps even the impression that they were laughing.

On the raised level was a grand bed and next to it stood a duergar who regarded us coolly. He stood at over five feet; a giant for one of his people. Kneeling before him was a ragged looking human, covered in grime and barely conscious. The duergar had one hand around the man's shoulders and in the other, one of those poison quills from his beard, the point pressing uncomfortably at the human's throat.

"Glen of Zaram." He said turning his crimson eyes upon the dwarf fighter. "Your fame precedes you. Turn around and leave immediately or I promise things will get very messy, starting with this unfortunate wretch." He violently jerked the head of his hostage who whimpered in fear. I glanced at Glen. Beads of sweat had formed on his brow and scattered the firelight in all directions as a look of non-recognition and confusion crossed his features. The dwarf is unmistakeably suffering from some sort of affliction.

"You must be Mirklemoor." Vic interjected. "We've come for the humans you kidnapped. If you just hand them over we will gladly leave you in peace".

I suspect the old man was lying to Mirklemoor, there's no way we were going to leave his operation in tact after all we have been through under this mountain. Not that it mattered in the end, the duergar didn't go for it anyway. He snorted his derision at us.

"Hah! Those prisoners are going nowhere that doesn't bring me gold old timer and now neither are you. You will fetch a good price from the mind flayers, despite the lack of brains for them to feast upon." With that he thrust the spine into the gullet of the human hostage. His scream quickly turned into a gurgle as he collapsed in a fountain of blood at the slave-master's feet. Before we could react two further duergar of more normal stature and a human priest of Orcus emerged from the shadows.

The two nameless duergar moved forward to peg us back in the doorway as the priest summoned hexes and Mirklemoor advanced towards us. He was now wielding a massive maul sheathed in flames. I have encountered the priests of Orcus on many an occasion in the past. I knew therefore that their hexes caused such confusion in the midst of battle that the presence of even single one of them boded ill for us should he be allowed to dictate the terms of the struggle.

I wasted no time putting two arrows into the priest as the others rushed the duergar lackeys in an attempt to force our way into the chamber. Under the force of my companion's onslaught the duergar quickly moved back leaving an opening into the room, an opening that Rodney was quick to take advantage of. He ran into the chamber to blast the priest and Mirklemoor with bolts of ice leaving both frozen on the spot. Even frozen in place however a priest of Orcus is still a threat and exposed as he was Rodney quickly found himself transformed into a toad!

The priest also summoned a hex and made to cast it at Eligos. I shot him again but although thrown off balance he still managed to hex the tiefling. The others continued to press forward reigning blow after blow on the duergar blocking our path into the room until eventually one dropped to his knees. As he did so he suddenly expanded to four times his original size and then stood to menace us once again by striking Eligos.

Despite this new threat I decided to focus on the priest, knowing full well how dangerous he could be if left unattended. I muttered an enchantment at my nocked arrow that caused it to shatter shortly after impact and bury splinters in the flesh of my quarry. Sadly my aim was not true and the arrow struck his shoulder rather than his heart. Though not a fatal wound the priest was clearly in some discomfort, Vic promptly stepped in and finished him off with a burst of energy from his mind. I'll have to have a word with him later about stealing my kills.

At the death of the priest Rodney returned to his human form, although he was clearly still befuddled by the ordeal. To make matters worse for the mage Mirklemoor managed to free himself from his cocoon of ice. He immediately turned his fury on Rodney, attacking the mage with his maul and knocking him into one of the fireplaces.

We redoubled our efforts to get into the room but met with little success against the duergar as the newly giant one blocked even more of our route in. Eventually Vic dispatched him by summoning an equally giant fist of iron which grasped him about the middle and with a series of sickening pops and cracks crushed him to death. The gap created was large enough for Minron and Glen to rush to Rodney's aid. As usual the mage was far from helpless. Upon entering the fire he had conjured a cloak of flame around him which shielded him from the worst of the fire.

Eligos took a swipe at the remaining duergar guarding the door and he also grew to four times his original size, once again blocking our path into the bedchamber. Just as his guard succumbed to gigantism Mirklemoor shouted into one of the fireplaces.

"What are you waiting for? Get in here you idiots."

As he finished speaking, the other door leading from the antechamber burst open and another two duergar entered to my left and attacked Minron. Behind them there appeared a Theurge who raised a thick cloud of choking gas around me. As I hacked and coughed my field of vision was reduced to no further than the end of my nose. In my blindness I felt Rook's presence intensify in my mind.

"These duergar are troublesome." He said and I experienced the sensation of intense energy radiating from my outstretched wings. Except of course they weren't my wings, they were Rook's.

The sounds of battle continued to penetrate through the fog including what sounded very much like a clap of thunder and screams of pain, mostly from voices which I did not recognise. Whatever magic was holding the cloud in place around me did not last long. As my vision cleared I noticed that two of the duergar lay dead on the floor with only one further guard still standing. Another cloud of gas, quite separate to the one which had blinded me lurked beyond the door to my left and Mirklemoor was nowhere to be seen.

Rodney gestured at the cloud and at his command it moved away from the door and further into the room. With the way clear Eligos transformed into a humanoid ram and charged through the open door and into the room beyond. As she disappeared from view a cacophony of desperate wails sounded through the door. In response five burning demons materialised in the centre of the room and moved off in the direction in which Eligos had disappeared. The rest of us moved in to aid the tiefling lead by Minron and Glen who went in at at a dead run and disappeared in the direction of the fighting to the accompaniment of a loud crash.

Rook landed on my shoulder and I moved up to the door with my bow at the ready. I entered a large chamber which was originally a reservoir for the fortress. There were three large cisterns in the room though only one of them now held water. The others were empty and had ladders placed in them allowing descent to the bottom. One of them, to my right, had seven ragged and dishevelled humans crouched in it, each of them manacled to the floor. Two spiny demons known to Eligos as spinagons hovered menacingly over the slaves whilst Eligos, Minron and Glen stood over the prone figure of Mirklemoor.

I loosed an arrow into the chest of Mirklemoor and another into one of the spinagons, though this seemed to have little effect. As the fire demons turned to regard the new threat Rodney once again gestured at the poison cloud commanding it to coalesce over the demons. As one they began to hack and cough. Very quickly all five of them fell to the ground in agonised death throes.

It was at this point that I became aware once again of the presence of the duergar Theurge. I was alerted as he uttered some sort of arcane chant which precipitated a storm of molten hailstones falling from the ceiling directly above my head. As the first stone struck me and singed my armour I felt Rook take flight from my shoulder as the impact sent me crashing to the ground.

As I struggled to dig myself out from underneath rapidly solidifying molten rock I noticed that Minron had also been brought down by the hailstorm. Glen, Vic and Eligos continued to engage with the spinagons and Mirklemoor. The spinagons tore spines from their flesh and hurled them at my companions. As the spines streaked through the air they burst into flames. Mirklemoor summoned a gout of flame which rather than attack anyone, flickered over him and caused his wounds to heal and his energy to return. Rejuvenated as he was he turned to Eligos and struck her with two vicious swipes of his maul.

With a furious roar Minron erupted from the rubble which entombed us and hurled himself at the duergar slave-master. His sword struck home with such vim that it rent Mirklemoor's black armour and added a new wound to replace those recently healed. Glen quickly moved in to back up the minotaur by swiping his axe at the duergar's knees, hobbling him and then striking him again. Rodney sensing that the slave-master was in a weakened state blasted him with a bolt of energy, killing him instantly. Mirklemoor thus dispatched, the mage gestured once again at the poison cloud and it moved to envelop the Theurge.

The Theurge immediately moved out of the cloud in an attempt to cast spells at us. In doing so he moved perilously close to Glen, Minron and Eligos. A mistake which he paid dearly for as Minron charged into him and knocked him prone. Glen followed this up with a vicious attack to his exposed neck before Eligos joined the two of them in hacking the helpless creature to pieces. As this was happening Vic, Rodney and I sent attack after attack at the hovering spinagons. For a long time the attacks seemed to have little effect. Eventually one fell and the other was left severely injured and with little hope of getting out of the chamber alive. As a last vindictive act it swooped into the occupied slave pit and executed one of the humans just before my arrow finished it off.

With all of the slavers dead we started to free the terrified looking humans from their prison. There were six survivors. Including the two executed by Mirklemoor and the spinagon respectively gave a total of eight accounted for leaving two prisoners at large. Vic asked the survivors what had happened to their missing comrades. Apparently they were taken away by a gnoll perhaps two days ago. When asked which direction they had gone their leader pointed out a hidden tunnel which seems to head in the direction of the Seven Pillared Hall.

We have decided to hole up here for the night to regain our strength, Glen especially looks as though he could use some sleep. Vic and Rodney are going to loot the corpses of our fallen foes whilst Minron tends to Glen. Eligos and I are going to fetch the other humans we left in the Great Hall back here to travel with the rest of us. Tomorrow I will lead us all back to the Seven Pillared Hall where we will make preparations to track down the missing two.


	14. Chapter 14

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

9th Day of Meloramensis – Part I

Thunderspire Mountain – En Route to the Seven Pillared Hall

As we returned from fetching the stray humans to Mirklemoor's chambers Rodney presented me with an amulet and the slavemaster's flame enchanted maul. As no-one else had use for them he offered to transfer the enchantment from the maul to my bow and let me keep the amulet. I'm starting to like that mage.

None of the others seem to know how to find north on a map so it was up to me to lead us home. This wouldn't normally be a problem but it's very difficult to navigate when people continually wander off ahead of you. The dwarf marched off into the distance as soon as we had left the reservoir, he is clearly feeling much better.

The tunnel that the humans pointed out to us was well travelled and lit at regular intervals by well maintained torches. For several hours all was well as we followed the tunnel through countless junctions. After a while the torches ran out and the natural gloom of the caverns closed in around us.

The cave widened out into a large chamber. In the gloom I could make out numerous skeletons scattered about the floor, some dwarven, some human. They all seemed to have collapsed straight down from a standing position as though their legs had suddenly failed them.

At the far end of the room was a corridor just wide enough to allow us to move along it two abreast. As we moved closer I noticed what appeared to be three skeletons floating in mid air a few feet into the passage. Eligos and Minron led the way as we moved up to investigate.

Before we knew what was happening Eligos and Minron were engulfed in some sort of gelatinous fluid that caused their skin to sizzle and blister. Suddenly three wraiths emerged from the cube to viciously attack Glen and Vic whilst the cube carried Eligos and Minron further into the corridor.

The wraiths flitted in and around the rest of us, disappearing through the walls of the corridor only to reappear somewhere else entirely. Rarely did they remain in one place long enough for us to strike them. Even when someone did manage to land a blow it had little effect on their insubstantial forms.

Rodney raised his arms above his head and in response an imp materialised behind the cube, it struck the cube with a bolt of energy and then vanished into thin air. In response the cube moved towards us once again as the wraiths continued to menace us from the rear. Gradually the wraiths and the cube were combining to force us all into an ever decreasing space.

Unable to use my bow in such cramped conditions I drew my sword to fend off our assailants whilst trying to manoeuvre myself into a position where I could shoot effectively. My efforts were greatly aided by Glen who dropped himself into a ready stance and slammed the butt of his ugrosh into the floor. By some power unknown to me the wraiths and the cube were all drawn to him to be met by the vicious welcome of his axe blade.

Glen's attack bought Minron the distraction he needed to escape the cube's hold. A sound akin to the gurgle of a freshly drained ale barrel announced the emergence of the minotaur from the side of the cube. He landed on his hands and knees with a slap as acidic ooze dripped from every inch of his body, fizzing and popping on the flagstones as it landed.

The minotaur hauled himself to his feet and roared at the cube. As he did so lightning streaked forth from his open maw. The bolt passed through everything in the corridor, living or dead before coalescing into one fearsome bolt which slammed into the cube invoking a thunderclap that left all other sound superfluous. The impact of the electricity reverberated through the cube and plumes of steam rose gently from its sizzling form.

Glen continued his relentless pursuit of the wraiths until, faced with the deadly onslaught of his blade they retreated behind the cube. Rodney took advantage of the close proximity of our assailants and engulfed all of them in a jet of flame. The cube was largely unaffected by the flames and responded by engulfing the unfortunate mage.

Rodney's discomfort was not to last long however. The retreat of the wraiths had bought me enough space to draw my bow. I wasted no time in sending a shaft into the cube. The effect was devastating. As the arrow buried itself in the gelatinous mass the cube solidified as if frozen and then shattered into countless tiny fragments.

Rodney and Eligos fell to the ground amidst the shower of crystallised acid and immediately leapt to their feet to join in the attack on the wraiths. Partially insubstantial as they were the wraiths were still fighting a losing battle as the combined might of the party wore them down. The fight was brought to a conclusion as Rodney encased all three of them in solid ice. Blade, bow and magic bolt them finished them off. As their icy shells fractured feint wisps of smoke floated towards the ceiling.

As the smoky forms passed through the roof of the passage a feint voice came to us as though carried on a breeze;

"Thank you".

Rodney later informed me that the wraiths were the souls of the cubes previous victims trapped inside their killer and driven insane over time.

Having survived our detour and ambush we are now ready to retrace our steps and find our way to the Seven Pillared Hall. We should be fine, as I keep telling Glen, I'm pretty sure I know where I went wrong last time.

10th Day of Meloramensis – Part I

Thunderspire Mountain – The Seven Pillared Hall

True to my word I led us back to the hall without further incident. As we emerged from the tunnels into the hall I soon started to notice people following us from a wary distance. Mostly children, the figures would flicker in and out of my peripheral vision, disappearing behind buildings only for heads to poke out and peer at us curiously.

During our journey through the streets the number of people tracking our movements began to grow. Before long there were too many of them to be able to effectively mask their presence and even Vicreal noticed that something unusual was going on. By the time we got back to the shop there was something of a crowd behind us. Though they were not acting in a threatening manner their presence was still somewhat disturbing. We entered the shop to find an animated Charrak pacing up and down, beside himself with worry.

"Thank heavens you're back". He squeaked. "Brugg is threatening to take away our stock."

"Why would he take away our stock?" I asked

"He says we owe him money." The diminutive kobold wrung his hands in anguish.

"Owe him money?" Asked Glen. "In what way do we owe him money?"

"Taxes! Taxes! Oh!" He wailed. "He going to close us down! I'll be all on my own with nowhere to go."

Eligos attempted to calm Charrak whilst the rest of us tried to infer exactly what was going on. It was all too obvious when you come to think about it. Despicable an activity though it is the slave trade is lucrative and it had made the Bloodreavers rich. Not wanting to risk coming to the attention of those enforcing the law in the hall and the inevitable clampdown that would follow, they had paid their taxes in full and on time without fuss or complaint. Their activity was also therefore lucrative for Brugg and his masters and would remain so as long as the Bloodreavers were left in peace. Us shutting the slavers down had cost Brugg and his paymasters substantial sums of money. They either didn't know or didn't care about the nature of the business that had been shut down in the process.

This injustice sent Minron into a rage. He became so agitated that we had to physically restrain him to stop him marching out of the shop and confronting Brugg. We managed to placate the minotaur enough to at least stay in the shop with us whilst we discussed what to do. The conversation did not last long before Brugg himself, doubtless alerted to our return by the crowd outside, stooped under the lintel to enter the shop.

"So." He rumbled. "The brave boys and girls have returned from their adventures having changed life in the mountain forever and leaving poor old Brugg out of pocket." All was silent for a moment before Vic flashed one of his friendliest smiles and addressed the ogre.

"We also rescued several people from a life of slavery and removed the threat of enslavement for many others." He pointed out.

"True enough." Brugg conceded, folding his arms across his chest. "And that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, it really does but money is money and those grey dwarves were good customers, worth a lot to me."

As Brugg finished his sentence Minron snorted loudly, bared his teeth and strode up to the ogre. Even at over seven feet in height the minotaur was a clear foot shorter than the ogre. Nevertheless he butted up against the tax collector and growled his challenge;

"Those customers raised undead abominations to guard their chattel. They were in league with an active death cult of Orcus. They were enemies of the Imperium, condemned to death for their actions by the holy word of the Raven Queen. A sentence that must be shared by any who stand with them against the balance of life and death."

Brugg, clearly intimidated by the aggression of the minotaur took half a step backwards and began to glance about as though considering calling for backup. Vic and I quickly stepped between the two beasts, a fight over this would serve no-one's interests. Vic assured him that we have no intention of closing down the shop and would of course continue to make contributions to the authorities in the hall. The ogre relaxed and turned back to address the half-elf.

"It's good to hear some sense from the more rational amongst you. There is still the question of arrears however. This shop owes me five hundred gold pieces".

Rodney stepped forward before Minron could lose his temper again.

"We don't have that sort of coin but I'm sure a business relationship with us could prove just as profitable as your previous one with the duergar. For example I can enchant some of your equipment if you bring me the materials I need".

Rodneys suggestion was followed by a number of suggestions from the rest of us as to how we could be of assistance to Brugg and his cohorts. Including guiding them to previously unexplored sections of the labyrinth (sections that are sure to be teeming with valuable artefacts) and the provision of healing if required. I think Minron immediately regretted the latter offer when the ogre proceeded to drop his breeches and show him a boil on his backside.

Glen came up with the idea that we continue the discussion at the Halfmoon Inn. Leaving Charrack to mind the shop we decamped to the Inn. Brugg immediately showed an interest in Eligos which, to my utter amazement she seemed to reciprocate. Glen turned out to be something of a competitive drunk and insisted on matching the ogre pint for pint despite being only a quarter of his size. Increasingly rowdy and sure of his superiority over Brugg in all things, the night ended with Glen challenging Brugg to an arm wrestle and being thoroughly defeated. Most of us engaged in dragging him reluctantly from the Inn back to the shop to get some sleep. Not Eligos though. As we were leaving I spotted her disappearing into the labyrinth with Brugg in tow. Most interestingly of all she had changed into her brute form. A wild night is in store for the ogre I think. Still it should secure us a favourable tax rate!


	15. Chapter 15

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

11th Day of Meloramensis – Part I

Thunderspire Mountain – The Seven Pillared Hall

I was roused from my slumber after what seemed the merest blink of an eye by the ever fretful Charrak. I waved the diminutive kobold away as he babbled something about a visitor. Stumbling outside to the well I drew a pail of water and dumped it over my ale-addled head. As I sat to drink the remaining water I was grateful that as bad as I felt Glen must have been much, much worse.

As I raised a handful of water to my mouth Charrak bustled out of the shop waving a scrap of paper at me.

"Mister Hogar, Mister Hogar. You must read the letter."

I have learnt over the last few days that it is not worth attempting discourse with Charrak when he gets excited. This was doubly true in my hung-over state so I simply did as I was bid and took the paper from him. Gradually a letter in the common tongue coalesced before my blurred vision.

_Your actions against the duergar are commendable. I am in a position of power in the evil organization behind the bloodreaver's actions, and I wish to help you defeat my comrades. I have been seeking a way out of the organization, and I believe you can help me. Follow the attached map so that we can meet in secret in two days time._

_Yours,_

_A friend_

Together with the note was a map directing us to a location in the labyrinth. Sighing I hauled myself up and went back to the shop to kick the others awake from their stupor. Eligos had still not returned from her dalliance with Brugg and Vic was nowhere to be seen. Glenn, much to my dismay was soon strolling about the shop and whistling to himself without a care in the world despite imbibing gallons of ale the previous evening. His cursed dwarven constitution was not an endearing character trait first thing in the morning and I told him so.

"your human side makes you weak ranger," he replied. "to make you so grumpy after no more than a barrel of ale or so."

"It's my human side that allows me to tolerate the company of dwarves, so perhaps you're right at that." I growled. He chuckled and set to searching through cupboards for something to eat. As he clattered about I bade Charrak to tell us where this note had come from.

Another kobold had delivered it to him whilst Glen was testing his strength against Brugg. Charrak was convinced of his sincerity, knew the way to the location shown on the plan and offered to take us there. Minron pointed out, with an apologetic glance at Charrak, that Kobolds are rarely trustworthy and this could easily be a trap.

"We have no other leads on the location of the missing slaves." Rodney pointed out. "Friend or foe this Kobold may know their location if he has an involvement with them."

We agreed that we would go to this kobold trap or no trap. All that remained was to wait for our erstwhile companions to return. It was not long before Eligos strode in. It may have been my imagination but I could have sworn she had a slight limp. Glen made a suggestive noise in greeting.

"Well devil-lass I hope the numbskull brute didn't disappoint too much!"

"Do I look disappointed master dwarf?" She replied.

"Perhaps not." He admitted. "But you'd not be looking so bright eyed and bushy tailed after a night with red blooded dwarf!"

Eligos chuckled. "Hardy though you folk may be its not stoutness of heart that leaves a tiefling girl satisfied in the morning." I guffawed and slapped my hand on the counter in appreciation.

"I don't know what you're laughing at," Glen replied morosely. "a milksop human with less pecker than a dwarven babe in arms."

"Oh that half of me is all orcish I assure you."

We waited another hour or so for Vic to rejoin us. Eventually we lost patience and Rodney and I went to the Halfmoon Inn to try and pick up his trail. We entered to find Mrs Halfmoon busy behind the bar cleaning up after last nights revelry and in preparation for the one to come.

"Come for your friend have you?" She said. "He's in the store room." She led us through a door behind the bar, through the small kitchen and another door into a cool windowless room piled with barrels and crates. In one corner was the foetal form of Vicrael snoring his way through a fitful sleep in a straw filled pallet in a corner of the room. I walked over and kicked his booted feet, no more than a nudge really. His eyes opened and swivelled to regard me without recognition. I crouched down and put my face through a miasma of alcohol breath to address him.

"We have places to be." I said. "Time to get up." He mumbled my name and rolled off his pallet with a moan. He tried to get to his feet but had to pause to vomit all over Mrs Halfmoon's floor.

"Have you been drinking full pints again?" I asked as I hauled him upright by his collar. I'd noticed a bowl of water in the kitchen. I dragged Vic over to it, his feet dragging limply on the cobblestones and dunked him. I held his head under for a couple of seconds until he began to struggle. When sufficient sign of life had returned I released him to slump to the floor with a wet slap. It turned to Mrs Halfmoon.

"I get him to clean that up." I said to her. "But he wouldn't do a very good job hopefully this is enough to compensate you for the mess and any other trouble he's caused you". I produced a gold coin which Mrs Halfmoon was only to eager to accept as compensation. Then Rodney and I each took one of Vic's arms and helped him back to the shop.

"This behaviour is not befitting someone of your status within the Praetorium." I told him.

"I was gathering information from the local populace," he replied "that sort of thing can prove very useful."

"Yes well, perhaps next time you reconnoitre the local tavern you should stick to your usual half pints." I said. We returned to find everyone ready to leave. After allowing Vic some time to gather his things and sober up a bit we all followed Charrak into the labyrinth.

After another trudge through the tunnels we emerged at the location shown on the map. It was a large natural cavern with several large boulders strewn around the floor. Around the edge of the space there was a narrow raised ledge about 10 feet above our level. Standing impassively in the centre of the room was a large bronze minotaur, a twin of the bronze warder kept by the mages in the Seven Pillared Hall. As we passed out of the caves and into the cavern Charrak noticed his kobold acquaintance standing atop the ledge at the far end of the room. He was shrouded and hooded in a black robe and carried a staff. Before I could stop him Charrak bounded into the centre of the cavern calling to the creature;

"We're here, we're here." We bustled in to try and stop him. As we came nearer to the Kobold mage a bright glow emanated from beneath his robes. Upon seeing us he raised his arms above his head and shrieked.

"Now. Get them now!" Two purple auras of magical energy began to glow and pulse on the ridge at either end of the cavern. Bones, previously hidden from view atop the ledge levitated into each aura and coalesced into humanoid skeletons wielding bows. As this was happening the deafening clank of machinery sounded from the Bronze warder. Its soulless eyes glowed ruby red and steam shot forth from its minotaur nostrils as it slowly turned its head to regard us.

Before anyone could react the two skeleton archers drew back their bow-strings. Magical arrows appeared, nocked in place on the string. As the skeletons loosed the arrows split into countless copies of themselves showering us from both sides with shafts that had become altogether real.

"You must kill the mage." I heard Rook's voice echo in my head as he took flight from my shoulder to flutter around the head of the enemy kobold. The kobold summoned some form of energy from his staff with the clear intention of causing the raven harm. If it had any effect on Rook he did not show it as I loosed four arrows at the kobold in quick succession. The first missed but the second took him in the shoulder. This did little harm in its own right but it did spin the mage around so that the third and fourth arrows slammed into his chest the last striking him through the heart and killing him before he'd even lost his balance.

The hail of magical arrows continued as the others, with the exception of Vic moved to engage the Bronze Warder. Jets of steam screamed from the statues nostrils. His roar could have been powered by the bellows of Moradin's forge. The heat of his inner furnace twisted the air around him. His metallic bovine features shimmered in the haze, as a refection in a pool of water disturbed by the breeze. As flail, sword, axe and magic bounced from the creatures bronze hide with seemingly little or no effect the beast burst forwards scattering all who stood before him. Minron bore the brunt of the assault and was flung backwards into the tunnels through which we had entered the cavern. Continuing his forward momentum the Warder crashed into one of the boulders and shouldered it into the mouth of the tunnel blocking Minron's path back inside.

As the bronze beast swatted our swarming friends from pillar to post Vicrael and I turned our attention to the archers striking them with magical bolts and sinking arrow after arrow into their decrepit forms. Before long both fell one to me and one stolen from under my nose by the ever opportunistic old Vic.

Minron clambered over the rock to rejoin the fray and one after another Minron, Eligos, Glen and Rodney threw themselves upon the beast. Each attack was met by the swipe of a giant metallic arm which sent the progenitor flying across the chamber. Alone as he was even his considerable strength and prowess could not save the creature from us. A massive blow from Eligos in ram form sent the creature ponderously toppling onto its backside. Minron quickly took advantage of the warders vulnerability to strike a telling blow to its neck. His bronze hide was finally pierced and a violent jet of steam erupted from the gap. The creature strained to regain his feet but sensing victory we rained a storm of blows upon him. An eruption of rings and clangs together with the heat of the life-force draining from the Warder turned the cavern into a makeshift smithy. Eventually a fine strike from Glen's axe separated the beasts head from its shoulders and ended the confrontation.

We retrieved Charrak from a corner where he had been hiding for the duration of the confrontation. I clambered up onto the ledge where the unfortunate kobold mage had fallen and searched his belongings. He was holding and an amulet and three pieces of parchment. One of them neatly rolled up and sealed with a blob of wax, the others mere scraps. I opened the sealed parchment and read the contents to the group.

_To Maldrick Scarmaker, Exalted Chieftain of the Blackfangs and Chosen of Yeenoghu: _

_Paldemar offers you the corpses of these champions as a gift of ongoing friendship, that our arrangement might continue to be mutually beneficial. May you savour their blood._

_Your friend and ally, Paldemar_

The first scrap was a more scruffily written note:

_I don't care how you do it, but deal with these adventurers. Take one of the bronze warders if you must. If they remain in the Labyrinth, they could disrupt my plans. Once you've dealt with them, deliver their bodies to our gnoll friends, along with the enclosed scroll._

_Paldemar_

And the third was a hand drawn map directing the bearer to "The Well of Demons." The location of the well was annotated with a single word "Blackfangs"

Vic took the notes from me for a closer inspection and became visibly excited.

"I've heard of this Paldemar." He said waving the notes at me. "Some of the locals were discussing him at the Inn. He's one of the mages that run the Seven Pillared hall but he's been missing for months."

"Did they have any idea where he went?" Eligos asked.

"Not really." Vic replied. "There was speculation about the Well of Demons. " He said pointing vigorously at the location marked on the map. "Apparently he had been researching the place. It's some sort of mythical shrine to Bahamut built by the minotaurs." He glanced expectantly at Minron hoping for some further explanation but the big minotaur simply shrugged. "Anyway, apparently lots of adventurers have set off looking for the place over the years. The legend is the shrine is a test to prove your devotion to the Dragon God with a great reward promised to any who succeeds. But none of those who set out for the shrine have ever come back. The locals presume they've all died on their quest and Paldemar is the latest to join them."

"If he wrote a note calling for our capture then he's been alive until very recently at the very least." Glen pointed out. "The kobold mage knew of our encounters with the duergar." I took the map back from Vic and studied the markings signifying the Well of Demons.

"Who," I asked. "Is Maldrick Scarmaker and what are the Blackfangs?" Vic grinned white teeth at me.

"Didn't I tell you I was gathering information from the local populace at the inn? You should learn to trust your old commanding officer more." He regarded me for a second before chuckling at something or other he found amusing before continuing. "They are more slavers I think; at least they have a reputation for abducting those who wander deep enough into the labyrinth. The locals seem to think that they are a clan of gnolls."

"Didn't the surviving humans say that the missing two were taken by gnolls?" Eligos asked. She was right of course, which means that we know where we are heading next.


	16. Chapter 16

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

11th Day of Meloramensis – Part II

Thunderspire Mountain – The Chamber of the Well

After another trudge through the darkness the tunnel opened out into darkness before us. In the gloom I could make out floor tiles and a column supporting the ceiling carved with the likeness of a minotaur. From our perspective it appeared to be casting a sidelong glance towards us, charged with an almost malevolent intent.

In the corner off to my left a shaft of light penetrated the thick darkness to glint off the surface of water, a well. As Vic moved forward to investigate the deep rumble of a minotaur's voice emanated from the column, speaking to me in Giantish.

"_Greetings, seekers of Bahamut's boundless glory. Those who prove unworthy of his attention Shall be claimed forever as his slaves. Those who prove worthy Shall be granted power beyond mortal reckoning. Mask, bell, blade, and tome."_

As the speech came to an end I noticed movement in the depths of the chamber. A figure came to a stop behind something, a darker shadow in the gloom. The reflective gaze of undead eyes held mine for a split second before the ghoul unleashed a soulless scream and charged at us.

Vic positioned himself between the rest of us and the ghoul and halted it's progress with a bolt of energy from his wand. As he did so the whole chamber began to quake violently. Debris fell from the ceiling as some of the floor tiles at the edge of the darkness shattered. A huge many toothed worm erupted from beneath the floor accompanied by countless lashing tentacles. One of the tentacles lassoed Vic and lifted him into the air.

I began sending arrow after arrow at the creature as the others rushed in to aid Vic. In their haste they failed to notice as lithe four legged creatures dripped from the darkness into the half-light. My shouts of warning were engulfed in the din of battle as the demonic creatures fell from the ceiling, flowed from the walls and emerged from the well. As they closed in on my unsuspecting comrades long forelimbs flashed out in attack. Their fiercely clawed hands grabbed the throats of Minron, Eligos and Rodney. Rodney's attacker was hanging from the top of the Minotaur pillar and hauled the mage from his feet to twitch in helpless suspension.

Minron, Glen and Eligos managed to free themselves and take the fight to these "chokers". The ghoul having recovered from Vic's attack immediately focused on the most vulnerable member of our group, Rodney. In the confusion of the melee no-one could reach the suspended mage before the ghoul launched himself at the mage and bit savagely into his neck. Instantly Rodney went limp, hanging listlessly from the choker's iron grip.

A cry of effort from Vic pierced the din of battle as he tried but failed to break free from the grip of the tentacle holding him. The worm raised the warlock high into the air and lowered him towards rows of razor sharp teeth in its gaping maw. Just as his death seemed certain the half-elf simply disappeared from creatures grasp only to reappear at my side. The worm roared in frustration and its tentacles swirled and lashed around the chamber in a deadly dance. Those in the chamber threw themselves to the ground and managed to avoid being grabbed by the beast. Minron sprang to his feet and charged at the ghoul still gnawing away at Rodney's neck. The minotaur's charge sent the ghoul sprawling on the ground, Minron then placed his hand on Rodney. His healing touch was sufficient to revive the mage who immediately assaulted the choker grabbing him with a thunderous burst of energy

The creatures paused in their assault, perhaps awed by the mage's sudden ferocity. This bought Eligos the time she needed to summon forth a miasma of noxious gas around the mouth of the worm before stepping forward into the cloud and savaging it with her flail. I would like to think that the many arrows I had sunk into the creature contributed to its fall. But whatever the cause the beast could not stand before the paladin and sank back beneath the ground with an anguished wail.

Everyone in the room, friend and foe alike stood transfixed by the disappearance of the worm. Minron was the first to recover his senses and used this advantage to dispatch the ghoul with a well placed swipe of his sword.

Three of the chokers remained to menace us. Glen quickly dispatched one with two flowing blows of his ugrosh and I another with an arrow to the heart. The one remaining beat a hasty retreat to a crack in the wall just large enough for him to hide in but too small for any of us to reach. Eligos was his undoing though. Like an angler casting a line she whipped her flail into the crack. With a wet thump it caught in his flesh and Eligos 'reeled' him in. As the hapless creature emerged reluctantly from his hiding place we fell upon him as one and ended his miserable existence.

Our enemies dispatched we quickly searched around in the dark for an exit. There were two doors exiting the room, one to the south and one to the east. I put my ear to the southern door and could hear the unmistakeable guttural, animalistic laughter of gnolls, probably the sound of our quarry. We have decided to venture through the other door first to clear any other hostiles from our backs before facing the beasts.

11th Day of Meloramensis – Part III

Thunderspire Mountain – Hall of the Crimson Whip

We pushed through the door and into a brightly lit chamber suffused with a faint red glow. A sickly iron tang permeated the chamber and invaded our nostrils. Before us there was a series of platforms separated from each other by channels containing a thick red liquid, blood.

The smallest platform was that upon which we stood. Jutting immediately from the entrance, there was barely enough room for the six of us to stand upon it. To our right, on its own small platform stood a large and imposing statue of a minotaur. Facing it, perhaps fifty feet away from us on the other side of the room was its twin. Across the centre of the chamber was a large runway-like platform that neatly split the chamber into halves. In the two corners on the other side of the runway there were pedestals. One supported a blade the other a hilt.

"That must be the blade the statue referred to." Glen said.

"I suppose we'd better go and get it then." I replied.

Vic shifted to the edge of the platform. The blood lapped gently against the tiles threatening to splash his boots.

"I don't think we really want to be wading through this stuff." He said.

"Then let us try another way." I answered whilst shrugging my pack from my shoulders. I unhooked a length of rope from its fastening and tied one end to an arrow. Raising my bow high I sent the arrow flying over the shoulder of the big statue on the other side of the room. Rook, sensing my intention fluttered over to the statue and took the arrow in his beak. He hopped and fluttered and flew his way around the statue dragging the rope behind him until it was secure, or secure enough at least. Behind me stood another statue of a minotaur, smaller than the two giants snarling at each other across the room but still a suitable anchoring point. I tied the other end of the rope to the statue and clambered onto it. "One at a time." I said looking pointedly at Vic. "I don't want one of you idiots sending me into the drink."

"I'm not waiting for a turn on that death-trap." Said Glen and without warning he sprinted at the edge of the platform and jumped towards the nearer of the two larger statues. He covered the distance with ease.

As I edged out over the pool of blood I glanced back only to see Rodney walking _over the surface of the liquid! _He overtook me effortlessly and stepped onto the central runway. I continued to clamber along. As I reached halfway Eligos leaned forward to peer into the crimson pool.

"There are shadows under the surface." She said ominously.

I hadn't noticed them before but now that Eligos had pointed them out I could just about make out slightly darker patches of red moving about under the surface. This revelation was accompanied by a sudden creaking noise. The rope started to vibrate madly. Glancing ahead I could see that the large statue was moving. It was also covered with large rusty-reddish stains that looked uncannily like old blood stains. The statues began to pivot at the waist. In their hands each of them held a thick length of chain that stretched almost to the centre of the room. As the minotaurs spun the chains clanked noisily as they were dragged along the runway until disappearing under the surface of the pools.

It was clear that when the statues spun with sufficient speed the chains would become deadly lariats which it would be difficult to avoid. In the meantime the rope suspending me over the nearer pool of blood was becoming more and more taut. I scrambled hand over hand as quickly as I could until I was able to drop safely onto the runway. As I did so Rook's rudimentary knot came undone and the rope dropped into the water.

The safe route into the centre of the room gone Minron attempted to follow Glen onto the pedestal of the nearest Statue. He was not quite able to match the dwarf's jump however and ended up just short of the platform. As he sunk into the crimson pool the minotaur managed to grab onto the edge of the platform and haul himself up to a solid footing.

Minron and Glen started swinging at the statue immediately in front of them. Un-slinging my bow I started shooting at the same statue. Our efforts were insufficient to interrupt the momentum of statues and before long the chains of both statues were whirling around the chamber in a deadly arc. I was fortunate to have landed on a spot just out of the reach of both lariats. The fluttery touch of displaced air was all that I experienced as the tips of the chains rushed past my chest. Glen Minron and Rook were not so lucky. The chain of the further statue just glanced off Rook as he attempted to fly back to me. Though not a full blooded blow it was enough to send the raven tumbling into the blood. Glen and Minron took stiff blows to the head and chest respectively. Though staggered by the force of the flailing chain the both managed to avoid falling from the platform.

Vic retreated back towards the door and out of the reach of the flails. As he moved he gestured at the depths of the blood pools.

"Whatever they are, they're converging on us." He cried.

"Enough of this." Eligos muttered and without another word waded into the blood straight towards whatever stalked us under there. She continued to move forward until completely submerged. Minron Glen and I continued to plug away at the nearer statue with little effect. Seemingly from nowhere a bolt of magic streaked across the room and slammed into the contraption, shattering it into countless pieces. I turned to see the mage Rodney strolling nonchalantly away.

"I shall retrieve the blade and hilt." He said before skipping away across the surface of the blood.

With one statue destroyed Glen, Minron and Vic moved to try and get close enough to the second to repeat the feat. Glen one again charged at the edge of the platform supporting him, this time attempting to reach the central runway. It was not quite so convincing a leap as the first time but he did make it with only the slightest splash of blood on his boots. As Glen concentrated on regaining his balance a stream of bubbles erupted from the pool in the vicinity of where Eligos has disappeared. We could see nothing but the movement of feint shadows beneath the surface to mark the tiefling's struggles.

Minron landed in our midst a second later. Vic attempted to follow but was well short of the required distance. It was only the quick reflexes of Minron which saved him from joining Eligos beneath the surface of the blood. The minotaur snatched at Vic's collar and after being submerged for the merest fraction of a second the warlock was hauled onto the runway.

The surviving statue rotated again, lashing its chain across the room. This time we were all out of range. Glen took advantage of the opportunity to once again leap out over the pool of blood. Once again he covered the distance easily, landing gracefully at the feet of the statue and without pause proceeding to batter it with swing after swing of his ugrosh.

Suddenly the blood pools began to boil vigorously to the accompaniment of an unearthly roaring noise. Rodney had successfully made it to the first pedestal and retrieved the hilt before sprinting back to join the rest of us. It seems that moving the hilt had caused some sort of reaction. Suddenly Rook emerged from the boiling blood. Sodden and dishevelled his indignation radiated into my consciousness.

From the other side of the runway Eligos erupted to land on her hands and knees on the runway. She was in as sorry a state as I've seen her. Battered and bruised the blood of the pool mingled with her own as it streamed down her face to drip from her nose and out of the joints in her armour to collect in the cracks of the floor tiles. She was to gain no respite however as four blood-red demons sprang from the pool to swarm over the her. One clambered onto her back and sunk his vicious fangs into her exposed neck.

As we shifted to engage with this new threat the remaining statue once again rotated and flung it's lariat across the room. Glen, standing as he was at the base of the statue managed to shrug off the attack and continue the steady work of chopping bits from it's legs . The rest of us were still out of range but, heedless of who it attacked, the statue did succeed in pulverizing one of the demons. As the hapless demon was swept away by the lariat, Eligos rose to her feet with a Herculean effort. She rained down blows on two of the remaining three demons, drawing blood from each and knocking them both to the ground.

As the demons hit the ground a groaning noise sounded from the remaining statue. Quiet at first, it grew louder until reaching a crescendo as the once proud monument, cut off at the knee thanks to Glen's efforts, toppled into the blood with a crash.

The distraction allowed Rodney to sprint past us all, over the surface of the blood and to the other pedestal that supported the blade. As the mage raised the blade from the pedestal all of the blood in the room rushed towards him buffeting our legs as it sloshed over the runway. Rodney continued to float on the surface but now had to crouch to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling.

The temporary inundation of blood seemed to revive the remaining three demons. They sprang to their feet and continued their assault on Eligos, quickly knocking the warden unconscious. They would have killed her but for my well placed arrow that prevented one of them from delivering the coup de grace. Rodney and Glen both ran back across the bottom of the now empty pool to aid us against the demons. As the rest of us drove the beasts back from Eligos Minron stepped in to heal the stricken warden.

Ferocious though they were it was a simple matter for Vic and I to pick off the remaining demons whilst the others engaged them up close. Shortly we had the room to ourselves and Rodney fell to examining the hilt and blade. The rest of us gathered belongings and tended to wounds. I noticed for the first time another exit on the same wall as the door through which we had entered but in the other corner. After examining the blade for a little while Rodney said.

"Ah! I think I understand it now." He continued muttering something incomprehensible and then pushed the two parts together. A feint glow emanated from where they butted up against each other until, with a sudden movement they fused together to form a dagger. As the two pieces combined the deep and loud roar of a minotaur sounded through the walls. Simultaneously whatever spell was holding the blood in one corner of the room was broken and the foul liquid crashed down in a mighty wave to fill the room once more. Once calm had been restored Rodney raised the dagger up.

"It has some form of enchantment." He said as he passed it to Vic.

"I'm sure I can make use of this." Said Vic, as we made our way to the second door.


	17. Chapter 17

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

11th Day of Meloramensis – Part IV

Thunderspire Mountain – Hall of Enforced Introspection

The exit led directly into a corridor. We turned to the left and followed it into the gloom. The temperature dropped noticeably so that our breath misted in front of our eyes. Before long I noticed a dark stain on the floor. After preventing the hapless Vic from blundering straight into it (he was more interested in admiring his new dagger than watching where he was going) I inspected it more closely and discovered that it was a trail of blood.

We followed the trail around several corners until we almost ran into three figures who barred our way as though waiting for us. Partially translucent all three spectres bore the signs of brutal, and fatal, combat. The first was a human male, slightly shorter than I, donned in chain-mail. About his neck he bore the symbol of Kord. The second was a stout dwarf in a suit of full plate. The dented and scored breast plate bore the remains of the enamelled symbol of Pelor. The third was a tall elf wizard, some of the usual grace of his people diminished by the wicked gashes across his face and torso.

"You seek to test your mettle against the trials of Bahamut." Said the human. "What makes you think you'll be able to succeed where we have failed."

A closer look at the three spirits betrayed their relative youth and inexperience. Their equipment was old and poorly maintained, they bore no comparison to ourselves in terms of ability, experience or indeed numbers. I pointed this out to the human ghost and he did not seem impressed. One must wonder why he would ask such a question when he did not wish to know the answer.

Rodney had been gazing past the three figures and into the darkness beyond, his head cocked at an angle as though listening to a sound on the edge of hearing. Suddenly his focus snapped to the ghost of the wizard.

"What is the power that whispers through these halls?" He asked

"It is the essence of three artefacts." The elf replied. "Three of the four that Bahamut would have you seek; a mask, a bell and a book."

"You claimed these artefacts." Rodney replied. It was a statement rather than a question.

"Those three and the fourth, the blade carried by your leader." The elf turned his gaze upon Old Vic who was still engrossed by the gleaming blade. "We gathered all of the artefacts but we could not place them in the rune circles and complete the task. The Guardian prevented us." He gestured at the fresh wounds upon his torso.

"Why do you remain here?" Rodney asked.

"We seek to aid adventurers worthy to succeed where we have failed." The human cut in. He turned to look upon me his lip curling in a half sneer. "You are not such adventurers. We shall wait for others after you have passed into the Shadowfell." Without further comment all three spectres vanished, leaving us alone in the cold corridor once again.

"We should press on." I muttered.

Continuing along the corridor we passed through a door to the right. We entered another corridor, this time brightly lit, which came to an end no more than fifteen feet in front of us at a heavy black curtain.

"There is no sound here." Eligos barely breathed the words but so right was she that they seemed to echo from the walls and ceiling.

I gestured for everyone to remain still and crept up to the curtain. I drew forth an arrow and notched it before cautiously pulling back the curtain an inch or so and peering through. Before me was a large high ceilinged hall resplendent with light. There was no obvious source for the light but it gleamed from multiple mirrored columns that stretched from floor to ceiling. In the mirror nearest to me I caught sight of a reflection. Looking more closely I could make out the canine features of a gnoll. The creature met my eye and with a sudden movement seemed to lunge from the mirror out into the hall and towards me. Everything went black.

I wasn't dead, that much I could tell. The darkness was all consuming but quickly I realised that something was else was near to me. The utter silence of the mirrored hall had been replaced by the rasping of laboured breath. The echo of the gasping told me that I was no longer in a large room and whatever shared the space with me was no more than a few feet away. I was about to reach into my bag and activate a sun rod when I heard the scuff of boots on the floor right next to me.

"Interesting." Rodney's voice filled the void and was soon accompanied by a brilliant light, shining like a beacon from the top of his staff.

Light danced around the small chamber revealing the figure of the mage. He was standing nearly shoulder to shoulder with me but even at such close quarters had been rendered invisible by the thick darkness. We glanced at each other before our attention was grabbed by the other creature in the room. It was the gnoll that I had seen in the mirror. He lay on the floor in an emaciated heap. Usually proud and fearsome creatures this one was a wretched sack of skin stretched thin over bone and coated in matted fur. His stink was enough to drive one to distraction. He blinked in the light before focussing on us. Mad eyes swivelled in their sockets and flecks of foam dripped from maw to floor as the beast hauled himself to his feet. It was clear that he hadn't eaten for some time and myself and the mage looked absolutely delicious.

The creature pounced at Rodney but the mage stopped it in its tracks with a bolt of energy. As the bolt struck, Eligos appeared suddenly in the room. With barely a moments hesitation she took in the danger of the situation and charged at the gnoll. I drew back an arrow and shot it into the beast's midriff earning a canine whelp of pain and a torrent of blood. Eligos and Rodney continued to distract it whilst I took careful aim with a second shaft. This one pierced the creatures heart sending it toppling to the ground before it was able to make further sound.

Our foe dispatched quiet descended on the room. I scanned around me looking for and exit, none was apparent. Rodney pressed his hands against the granite blocks and closed his eyes, probing the structure with his mind no doubt.

"There is no exit." He said without a hint of emotion.

"How did we get in then?" I asked.

"Some sort of teleportation spell." He replied. "But without knowing how far and in which direction we need to travel it would be very dangerous for me to attempt to recreate it."

"We wait then." Said Eligos as she sat down cross-legged in the centre of the room.

"Wait for what?" I knew perfectly well what we were waiting for of course but one should never turn down the opportunity for a little healthy sarcasm.

"Wait for the others to free us." She answered matter-of-factly. I could not resist a wry chuckle.

"Your faith in them is quite touching."

"My faith in them is based upon experience. Vic and Minron may have let you down in the past but Glen always comes through"

"I'll make some tea." Announced Rodney sitting down next to Eligos and rummaging in his pack.

I dragged the stinking corpse of the gnoll into a corner whilst Rodney magically heated water in his kettle. As we sat in a circle sipping on the mage's bitter brew Eligos gestured at the slain beast with his cup.

"How long do you think he's been down here?"

I did not have to look up from my drink, moving the creature had given me plenty of opportunity to assess his state.

"Judging by the state of him he's barely eaten for a month or more."

"Surely he would die of thirst long before a month passed?" Asked the mage. I nodded towards one of the shadowy corners, near to where the beast had been slumped on our arrival.

"See over there?" I said gesturing at a string of slime mould clinging defiantly to the moist blocks of the wall. "There's enough moisture there to keep you going for a while once you get desperate enough."

"Well that's something to look forward to." Commented Eligos as she returned to her drink.

We finished our drinks and continued to wait. Rodney immediately started brewing another round; I think he may be slightly addicted to tea. Eligos started gathering loose bits of stone from the cracks in the floor tiles and arranging them into precarious piles.

Suddenly, after what seemed like an age but was probably no more than a few minutes, we found ourselves staring at the curtain marking the entrance to the mirrored hall.

"We've teleported." Rodney said before scrambling to his feet and disappearing through the curtain. Eligos followed hot on his heels leaving me sitting alone next to a piping hot kettle.

"Don't worry I'll tidy up after you." I mumbled at their backs before scorching my hands on the piping hot kettle.

I stowed it in my pack as quickly as I could before setting off after them. I moved through the mirrored hall and around the corner to the left. The mirrored columns continued for a little while until a second larger curtain partitioned off the end of the room. As I approached I could hear the voices of my companions and the sounds of a scuffle beyond the curtain. I pulled the curtain open just in time to see Glen dispatch a mummy to a more permanent death. It fell to join another, already lying dead on the ground. They were standing before an alter of Bahamut and Glen looked…different. His ears were more pointed almost lupine in appearance and tufts of fur had sprouted from his face.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

"I rung that bell." He indicated an ivory handled silver bell on the alter. "It somehow pricked the palm of my hand and a little while later I got this rather splendid addition to my already magnificent facial hair."

Minron picked up the bell and turned it over gently in his hands to reveal a rune etched on the side of the bell itself.

"This means change in Minotaur." He snorted. "I don't like change." He handed the artefact to Rodney who had also walked over to have a closer look.

"Maybe ringing this released us from the chamber." He mused. "other than the physical changes do you feel different?"

"I feel strong." Glen replied. "More powerful."

"Powerful?" Vic chimed in. He had once again been preoccupied throughout the conversation inspecting his new dagger. "Perhaps we should all ring it."

"I would advise caut…" Rodney began before Vic snatched the bell from him and rung it.

"Caution? Where did being cautious ever get any..Gah!" He cried out as the bell pierced the skin of his palm. He dropped the it and it tumbled towards the ground. Eligos' reactions were fast enough to prevent disaster though and the caught it by the handle before it could smash on the flagstones. In doing so the bell chimed and the skin of Eligos' palm was also pricked by the artefact. Not that you could tell from her reaction. She merely cast a sidelong glance at Vic in reproach for his lack of fortitude.

"Perhaps we should put that somewhere safe." Said Rodney producing a cloth from his pack in which he wrapped the artefact before putting it away.

After a little while Vic and Eligos both doubled over in pain as the changes caused by the bell started to manifest. Vic's canine teeth grew. His nose compressed and hair sprouted from his face.

"Hey you look a bit like me." Glen slapped him on the back. "My canines came through after a while as well." The dwarf flashed the half-elf a vampiric grin as proof.

"I've always preferred an elongated lower canine myself." I said grimacing at them to show my own splendid teeth.

Eligos' skin darkened to take on a rusty hue and fine scales formed around her jaw line and brow. Most startlingly of all she shrunk by six inches! She's still quite tall but very far from happy. It took the combined efforts of me, Minron and Glen to stop her from teaching Vic a lesson for his clumsiness.

"I think perhaps we'd better all take a rest and get some sleep." Rodney said in an attempt to calm things down.

"Sleep? Here." I asked my disdain for the notion clear.

"Yes." The mage did not seem to share my view.

"You want to take a nap in a place called 'The Well of Demons? You don't think that could be a mite risky?"

"Hogar some of us need rest. We are out of sight and with a wall to our backs. We may not get a better chance." Rodney and, with the exception of Glenn, the rest of the group dropped to the ground and set to rummaging through their things."

"Rest? I don't need rest. I could carry on slaying these beasts forever." Said Glen. "All you longuns need to get a grip." I'm inclined to agree with him but he was summarily ignored. We're having a rest.


	18. Chapter 18

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

12th Day of Meloramensis – Part I

Thunderspire Mountain – Practice Hall

I slept fitfully until Eligos, having taken the last watch, roused us to continue our journey. Bleary eyed and more tired for resting than had we pushed on I struggled to recognise the figure before me as Eligos. As my vision cleared the reason for this became quite obvious; Eligos had shrunk in height by a further foot and was now covered head to toe in russet scales. She looked remarkably like a kobold. As the situation dawned on Eligos her fury was uncontrollable and revealed quite adequately that, despite the change in her stature she had lost none of her physical strength or fighting prowess. After Rodney calmed her down Minron moved over to examine her. Turning her right hand over in his he noticed a puncture wound on her palm that suppurated some unspeakable fluid and was surrounded by a puckered ridge of inflamed flesh.

"The bell." He muttered. "It brings change through disease, we never should have used it." He produced a salve from his pack and proceeded to wrap it about Eligos' hand.

"Why are they back to normal?" I asked gesturing at Glen and Vic now manifestly without extra hair follicles or elongated teeth.

"Who knows why disease takes hold of some and not others?" He answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Cretin! This is your stupid fault." Eligos roared at Vic as the launched herself at him. Her right fist made a solid connection with his left temple and sent the warlock crashing to the ground. She would have continued to beat him were it not for Glen intervening. He lifted the now much lighter Eligos away from Vic and set her down with himself between her and the focus of her rage.

"This is not helping." He said, gripping her shoulders tightly. "The disease can be reversed. Otherwise the halfwit and I would be in the same boat as you. Minron will fix you, isn't that right?" He asked the minotaur.

"I will try but I am not familiar with the disease so cannot predict with any certainty what will happen. If there is a way I will find it."

"We may not be able to cure you yet." Rodney stepped forward and placed his hands on Eligos' shoulders. "But we can make your equipment a little more practical." The mage closed his eyes in concentration and slowly, slowly the chain shirt hanging loose about her shoulders and down to her ankles shrunk until it matched her new form perfectly. He continued to adjust all of the warden's equipment. "When we cure you I'll return it all to normal." He said.

We gathered ourselves together and, with a sheepish Vic brining up the rear, retraced our steps into the corridor and moved further into the gloom. Before long we came to a set of wooden double doors framed in a halo of light. From the other side of the doors we could make out canine yapping and the dull thunk of loosed bow strings. Glenn sniffed the air excitedly.

"I smell bacon."

"Bacon?" I replied. "All I can smell is wet dog."

"Trust me. Bacon and pork chops are on the other side of that door."

Glen opened the doors to reveal a chamber bathed in the light of a series of wall mounted torches. The walls were painted with time-faded murals of naked minotaurs in battle, tearing foes of various races limb from limb with hands, teeth and horns. We could not focus on the gruesome quality of the artwork for long however. From the left I could hear porcine snuffling and squealing. A glance in that direction revealed a large boar its hide pierced with three or four arrows, confined in a wicker cage. The cage was encircled by four mangy hyenas who snarled and snapped at the trapped creature. To the right four gnolls armed with bows and arrows were taking pot-shots at the boar. They were safely separated from the feral hyenas by a waist high wall of straw bails. Vic, distracted as ever by his new dagger, was bought temporarily into the real world by the presence of the boar.

"There was a man in the hall who lost his boar." He said quietly before wandering into the middle of the room. "This creature is not yours," he bellowed gesturing at the boar. He was quickly surrounded by hyenas and struck forcefully in the chest by two arrows. He sunk to his knees blood dripping from his wounds and the corner of his mouth.

"Save that bloody idiot." Rodney shouted with uncharacteristic emotion as he strode into the room. He raised both hands palm outwards towards the gnoll archers. The room suddenly exploded in a bright flame that ignited the hay bails and drove the archers back. Minron and Eligos moved to deal with the hyenas. As Glen moved to follow them he turned to grin at me.

"I told you there'd be bacon. And sausages. And a nice side of ribs!" He then turned and disappeared through the flames at a jog, heading in the direction of the gnolls.

The efforts of Minron and Eligos together with a few well placed arrows from me made short work of the hyenas. All the while Vic knelt on the floor with arrows protruding from his chest. When he was able Minron went to attend his wounds. As he dislodged the second arrow blood gushed forth from the wound to splatter upon the blade of the dagger that so enthralled Vic. The warlock stood, seemingly unaffected by pain and tried to wipe the blade clean with his sleeve. Try as he might though he could not clean his blood from the blade. From my perspective it seemed to almost seep into the metal, turning the blade a deep red colour. Vic's eyes darkened into smoky orbs and without warning he plunged the dagger into Minron's stomach causing the minotaur to double over in pain. His eyes cleared and Vic's face became the image of shock; he clearly could not believe what he had just done. He stared at the knife in shock, an alien object in his hands. Upon viewing the knife his eyes darkened again.

"Vicrael, drop the knife." Glen's shout came from the other side of the wall of flames. The advice went unheeded as Vic plunged the knife into Minron once again, this time into the back of his neck. The minotaur lashed out in response, a back handed blow that sent Vic flying through the air to crash into the far. He slumped dazed into a seated position, the knife clattered to the flagstones at his side.

As Vic's eyes rolled around in their sockets the flames that had kept the gnolls from us diminished. As they dissipated a weary and battered but smiling Glen was revealed to us. Two dead gnolls lay on the ground, wicked gashes on their torsos betraying the swipe of an ugrosh that had killed them. Two further gnolls, singed to the bone by Rodney's fire were doing their very best to get away from the dwarf.

"Come back!" The dwarf called after them. "I've got a side of ribs over there waiting for me once I've dealt with you."

As I drew back an arrow to shoot at one of the remaining gnolls I heard Minron grunt in pain and anger as he turned his healing magic on himself. I loosed and the arrow struck the gnoll through the heart killing him instantly. As I returned to my quiver for another arrow Vic's voice screeched out over the din of battle.

"Possessed. I am possessed. I must hurt the ones I love." He clambered to his feet, continuing to babble in this fashion and lurched to the cage containing the boar. Once near to the cage he raised his hands over his head. As the boar snuffled his bewilderment a snarl curled onto Vic's face. "BURN" he screamed and a column of searing magic fire swirled inside the cage. Tortured squeals pierced the air as the boar charged around in an agonised frenzy. Glen dispatched the last gnoll with a nonchalant flick of his ugrosh and turned in despair at the unholy noise coming from the cage. We all called for Vic to stop but he was deaf to our calls. The dagger lay unused on the floor, the blood colour having drained from its blade. It was not the knife doing this to the old half-elf, he had simply lost his mind.

Just as I was considering trying to incapacitate him with an arrow Minron regained his footing and charged at Vic with an almighty roar. He smashed headlong into the warlock piercing his side with a horn and sending him crashing into the cage. As Vic slid down the cage in a daze the flames stopped and a smoking, scorched and angry boar crouched low to the ground panting. Seeing the cause of his misery slumped against the cage the boar rose to his feet and charged at the hapless Vic. His tusk viciously gouged the warlock's back and Vic slumped to the floor, unconscious and bleeding profusely. With a look of disdain bordering on disgust Eligos walked over to Vic and dragged him away from the cage to safety. I held a knife to his throat as Minron tended him in case madness still held him.

Glen barrelled across the room, over the smouldering remains of the hay bails and up to the boars cage. Gripping the bars he babbled soothing noises at the suffering beast. I looked up from my task of securing Vic.

"I thought you were looking forward to a nice side of ribs?" I asked.

"Don't say that to him." He scolded me. "Don't you listen to the nasty orc." He cooed at the beast. "Glen will look after you now, no one's going to eat you Sid." The boar snapped and snarled and prowled around his cage. He was badly injured and obviously in a lot of pain.

"I think I can help him." Rodney declared. He began muttering some arcane incantation and walked over to the cage door. To shouted protests from the rest of us he opened the door. Rather than attacking him the boar trotted meekly up to the mage and placed his head in his hands. Rodney closed his eyes in concentration.

"This boar and his dwarven master were captured by a group of gnolls and hyenas whilst prospecting in the tunnels. His master was taken by the tentacled beast that we faced earlier and taken down into its pit whilst the gnolls snuck past. They have been using the boar.."

"Sid." Glen interrupted.

"They have been using Sid," Rodney corrected himself, "for target practice and to train their hyenas. It has not been a happy existence for him."

"How many gnolls?" I asked

"It's hard to say." Rodney replied releasing Sid who immediately trotted over to Glen. "Certainly this isn't all of them. If Sid's memories are reliable then one of them is winged."

"No matter." I said. "Even winged it wont be able to out-fly an arrow."

Rodney placed Vic's knife in his pack with the bell for safekeeping. We roused the warlock to consciousness and Minron healed his wounds as best he could. Vic is confused and more than a little addled but does not seem dangerous. We filed through a door on the other side of the room, the boar at Glen's side and Vic taking care to be as far away from those tusks as possible.

12th Day of Meloramensis – Part II

Thunderspire Mountain – Shrine to Baphomet

We stepped through the door into a brightly lit stone corridor. After following it for a short while we reached a heavy black wooden door. At the door's centre was an iron knocker shaped as the snarling face of a minotaur. As we passed through the stone of the corridor changed from dull damp grey into deep, shining obsidian. So dark was the stone that it absorbed the light of the guttering torches and spat it back as bright points of brilliant light that twinkled from the shadows as stars upon the great vault over the earth.

The obsidian corridor was wider than that previously, it turned away to our right and sported two doors that opened onto the wall facing us. The smaller of the two was directly opposite us with more substantial double doors a little way to the right. Both sets were made from the same black wood as the one we had passed through and sported the visage of the same angry minotaur. Further to the right was an open plan area with a large communal dining table inside. Bones of suspicious size and origin lay scattered about the table top. The double doors hung open to reveal a pregnant gloom. The faintest of red glows struggled and strained to send its light into the corridor to mingle with the starlight of the torches. Eligos whispered that she could hear voices coming from the gloom beyond, I couldn't hear any.

I crept forwards into the corridor with the intention of scouting what was beyond the open doors. As I stepped out into the corridor vertigo swept over me. My eyes, despite being in a cramped corridor no more than a few feet wider and taller than I, perceived the breadth of the heavens spread before and behind me in all directions, a dizzying experience indeed. After a breath I gathered myself and pressed on towards the double doors.

As I crossed the centre of the corridor, exposed and alone, vulnerable as a babe before the sandman, a great roar boomed from the chamber at the end of the corridor. It was answered by a sharp crack, like that of a whip, from the darkness beyond the double doors. The rotten egg smell of brimstone suddenly filled the corridor and was followed by another boom. This time the noise signalled some sort of explosion from the darkness. The explosion threw the doors back on their hinges to slam shut. Such was its force though, that the door frame was not enough to halt their progress. The doors, accompanied by fragments of masonry, centuries old mortar and iron fittings, flew past my nose, far too close for comfort, to shatter upon the black wall on the opposite side of the corridor.

I staggered backwards, caught unawares by the force of the blast. Quickly I regained my balance and resumed my creep towards the strewn rubble that had once been doors. I reached the edge of the now rough opening and peered in. Braziers crackled in the four corners of a medium sized room, casting an orange glow into the centre where there crouched a large hairy creature that was breathing heavily and noisily. Steam rose in fragile tendrils from its shoulders as the hulking beast slowly rose from a crouched position. It was covered head to toe in thick matted brown fur. Twice my height it had a jet black, squashed face. The dark disc of that face was penetrated only twice by tiny pricks of red light, its eyes. Vicious horns curled down either side of its head; starting at the temples they wound behind its ears, narrowing all the while, before curving under its jaw-line to protrude as wicked points either side of its chin. It turned to gaze around the room, head twitching from side to side to take in its surroundings. It was clearly struggling to understand exactly where it was. As it turned around to take in its surroundings I immediately recognised it as a balgura. These demons are well known to the Praetorium and don't often exist on this plane of their own volition. Something powerful had summoned it.

From my hiding place in the corridor it hadn't noticed me. I took advantage of this situation by quietly knocking an arrow, drawing and loosing it at the demon's heart. The arrow struck true and the balgura unleashed a blood curdling scream at the ceiling. I sent another two arrows to follow the first and both struck home. Black blood dripping from its chest and the corner of its mouth, the creature looked down at the arrows in surprise. Slowly he raised his black horned head to lock his red glowing eyes onto mine. His lips curled back to reveal two neat rows of needle sharp teeth which parted to bellow a challenge at me. Suddenly three fire demons leap out of the braziers to stand behind the hulking balgura demon, all of them gazing menacingly towards me.

Outnumbered and alone I decided that discretion is the better part of valour and backed into the corridor towards the support of the others. Fire demons are fast though and they caught up very quickly to engulf me in searing flames. Eligos and Minron rushed to my aid. Both of them charged at the fire demons and knocked one over. The balgura was not far behind his friends though. He ran out of the ruined doors and straight into me slashing all the while with his claws. Battered and bleeding I backed further away to try and find some breathing space. I ducked behind Vic and Rodney who joined the fray by standing in the corridor and hurling magical projectiles over the heads of Minron and Eligos into our foes.

As I bent double and sucked air into my protesting lungs I became aware of a commotion in the corridor behind me. Suddenly a snorting squealing boar burst through the entrance and into the corridor. Astride the back of this porcine apparition was the whooping, wheeling form of Glen, at that moment surely the happiest dwarf in all of creation. He bounced and flailed down the corridor like a rag doll tied to the back of a bucking bronco, his red hair and beard trailing behind him and his axe swishing around his head.

The cavalry smashed into the balgura and his fiery friends at full tilt, sending the demons crashing to the ground and scattering them in all directions. As the demons hit the floor a gnoll appeared from the dining room grasping a book and waving a flail around.

"Get up, get up. Kill them all!" He shouted holding the battered leather bound tome out in front of him and gesturing at the demons. "Obey your master, kill them!"

The demons sprang to their feet and swarmed in amongst us converging on me and engulfing me in flames once more. Minron again sprang to my aid sweeping his sword over my head and into two of the demons. As his blade passed over my head I could feel the burns on my flesh healing at his command. The demons were not as fortunate as one fell lifelessly to the floor. Eligos wasted no time in joining in. Turning into a fearsome ram she charged into one of the remaining fire demons, knocking it over. Seemingly taking inspiration from the tiefling Rodney raised his arms high. A ghostly figure lurched forth from within the mages body; quickly it coalesced into the likeness of a charging ram's head and smashed into the other fire demon, sending him to join his companion sprawled upon the floor.

In the meantime the balgura demon had regained his footing. Glen backed Sid into the corridor before charging at the massive demon again. This time the demon was ready for him and stopped the boar's charge by grasping his tusks and using his momentum to smash him into the wall. He them grabbed the dazed Glen by the throat and slammed him head-first into the ceiling. A dwarf is a tough nut to crack through. He lashed out with his Ugrosh from within the demon's grip to slash its arm. The balgura yelped with surprise and dropped the dwarf to the ground. This was all the opening that Rodney needed. He summoned a ball of magical energy that sped towards the hapless creature and struck it cleanly in the chest. The demon had barely had an opportunity to register surprise before it dropped down dead.

Vicrael dispatched the remaining two fire demons which left the six of us in the corridor facing off against the now lone gnoll. The creature shifted nervously from foot to foot looking for an escape.

"You are defeated and cannot escape." Vic said striding through us to face the gnoll alone. "You cannot summon more demons before we strike you down and I do not fancy your chances of defeating us alone."

"Vic." I interjected. "What are you doing?"

He waved me away and took another step towards the creature, palms raised out in front of him in a gesture of supplication. "Your book is one of the artefacts we are searching for. Give it to me and we will take you back to the Seven Pillared Hall.

"Vic!" I hissed. "This is madness, he's a dangerous fanatic. Get away from him". He silenced me with a look and continued slowly moving towards the creature.

"You will have to face the justice of the mages but if you help us I will speak on your behalf. You may have a future yet, if you help us." Vic moved closer still and stretched out his hand as if to receive the book. The gnoll's fear was still apparent and he started retreating back into the dining area. Vic took a couple of quicker steps towards him to try and cut him off. Before anyone knew what was happening a flick of the gnoll's wrist sent his spiked flail towards Vic's face. Fortunately for him the old Elf's reflexes were up to the task and he was able to duck under the attack. My reflexes are not too bad either and before the gnoll could set himself for another attack he received an arrow to the throat, bringing an end to his mischief.

"Orcus' teeth! What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" I shouted at Vic.

"I thought I could reason with it." He replied absently, gazing down at the fallen beast.

"Your thought process could do with an overhaul." I snapped at him. "You seem to be doing your level best to get yourself killed lately. Snap out of it!"

I turned and stalked away towards the entrance. As I rounded the corner I came face to face with another gnoll, no doubt coming to see what all the commotion was about. For a couple of seconds we just stood there face to face, both too surprised to act. Then Vic's voice sounded out as he hurried after me.

"Hogar I'm sorry. There are things going on that you can't unders..." He stopped short as he noticed the gnoll. The arrival of a second enemy was enough to spring the creature from our reverie; he turned tail and sprinted away down the corridor.

"Hey, stop!" Vic shouted after the creature before haring off after it.

"Vic!" I shouted. "Don't go without the rest of us." I called for the others to follow as, with a sigh, I set off after them.

I chased Vicrael' around several corners into an increasing gloom. Despite his exalted age the half-elf still had a turn of speed about him and was getting ever further away, his calls echoing after his quarry. Eventually the wall mounted torches ran out and I was pitched into darkness. I could hear footsteps ahead and followed them through a door and into a smell that hit me like it was a solid thing. It was as though Belor himself has voided his bowels, before keeling over dead and decomposing for a few lifetimes. As I wretched at the smell I noticed a half lit room to my right with rotten straw strewn about the floor. In the doorway I could see the silhouette of Vic bent over and heaving at the vile stink. I was about to call to him when he straightened and strode off into the room.

"I have you now." He said into the darkness. "Come and face m..." He jerked backwards suddenly and toppled to the floor before he could finish his sentence. The shaft of an arrow protruded from the centre of his chest where it had surely struck his heart. As Vic hit the ground canine howls and yelps filled the chamber. From the shadows a pack of hyenas emerged to attack. They fell upon the motionless Vic, fighting amongst themselves to savage the helpless warlock from head to toe. Lumps of flesh were torn from his face, arms and torso in a feeding frenzy.

Madness gripped me as I drew a shaft from my quiver and with a mindless yowl shot it into the mass of hyenas. Shaft after shaft flew into the morass and one after another the dogs fell to the ground with a yelp. They were slow to notice the new threat that I posed and many of their number had died before the majority turned their attention on me. Despite the advantage of surprise I knew instantly that I was doomed. There were just too many of them for me to kill before they took me down.

I continued to shoot defiantly and wait for the end. Just as I thought it must come a brown and ginger blur swept past my right shoulder and barrelled into the pack. It was Glen, still mounted on Sid. His Ugrosh clove through the massed hounds, sending them flying in all directions. He was quickly joined by Eligos and Minron. Bolts of fire and ice shooting into the wolves from behind me signalled that Rodney was here too. Together we made short work of the remaining pack and the gnoll that had lured Vic after him. Minron and I rushed to Vic's side. Minron inspected the damage done to him whilst I was at a complete loss. After patting Vic's shoulder ineffectually for a few seconds and squeezing his hand I turned to the Minotaur.

"Can you do anything?" He shook his head sadly in response. "There is no life here. He is the Raven Queen's now."

I stood up and moved away from Vic's corpse, anger and sorrow vying within me for supremacy. I could hear Minron behind me muttering incantations to the Raven Queen, commending Vic's soul to her. Glen retrieved a shroud from his pack and gently laid it over the body.

"He was a strange one." He commented matter-of-factly. "As elves usually are but a fine warrior."

"He was an idiot." I snapped, almost shouting. "And he has been for some time." I added in a more measured tone. "But he hasn't always been. He was great once. He made me the soldier I am. Many are the foes who have rued the day of his birth. Our brothers in the Praetorium will mourn his passing."

"He saved me from a life as a savage beast." Minron said in his deep rumble. "He deserved better than to die at the hands of a mangy man-dog." He fixed my eyes with his own. "We will save these humans, slaughter those who took them and pass the Platinum Dragon's trial to avenge him." I nodded.

"We have a mask to find." I said. "Let's go and find it."


	19. Chapter 19

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

12th Day of Meloramensis – Part III

Thunderspire Mountain – Shrine to Baphomet

With some difficulty we retraced our steps and rejoined the corridor where we had encountered three ghostly adventurers the previous day. As we continued along the gloom Rodney, a miniature ball of flame hovering over his tattooed head as illumination, flicked through the pages of the book he had recovered from the gnoll summoner.

"This text is ancient minotaur." He said to Minron proffering him the text. "Are you able to understand any of it." The minotaur did not even turn his head to regard the book.

"Mage, if the text was common, I could read it. If it was in modern minotaur I might be able to read it. As it's in ancient anything you may as well show me the book of Asmodeus in Barazhad. I'm afraid I have no idea." The mage's brow furrowed as he returned the tome to its hiding place within his voluminous blue robes.

"Very well, I will summon the knowledge when I have the opportunity to concentrate."

We trudged on. The dwarf tottered alongside his porcine companion Sid, his footsteps echoing from the ceiling and walls and reverberating along the tunnel into the distance.

"Zaram." I hissed. "If you rang a bell and shouted our intentions at the top of your voice you could scare do a better job of announcing our presence here." Two paces in front of me the dwarf half turned to face me. His ugrosh lay across both shoulders, writs resting upon the shaft to leave his elbows dangling perpendicular to his ears. He sniffed and wrinkled his nose, his orange whiskers rippled across his upper lip and his braided beard swung loosely in front of his tarnished scale shirt.

"Stealth is for timid surface dwellers; elves and humans." Somehow the way he said 'elves and humans' turned the words themselves into an insult. "I prefer to face my enemies. Anyway, it would be no bad thing for me to announce myself. Our enemies will surely quake with fear knowing they face death at the hands of Hammerfast's greatest warrior."

"Surely." I replied, trying to keep the sarcasm from my voice.

After a while the echoes of Glen's footsteps and the groan of the leather straps holding his armour in place was subsumed by a cacophonous mournful wail from somewhere up ahead.

"Dampen your noise." I hissed at the dwarf as I trotted ahead silently to investigate. I turned right and followed another corridor until it stopped at a set of black double doors, identical to those that had concealed the gnoll demon summoners.

The doors were sweating.

Condensation seemed to seep from the heart of the ancient wood, forming rivulets that wound a leisurely path down the grain of the wood to drip on the flagstones at my feet. I held the palm of my right hand to the bottom of the doors. A moist warmth rose from the gap between door and floor to disperse amongst the more gelid atmosphere of the corridor. All about me was silence so I decided to open the doors. The merest touch of my fingertips was sufficient for the doors to silently and gently swing away from me. As they did so warm air rushed past me at such a speed and with such force that I blinked at its passing. My skin tingled and beads of sweat formed at my hairline as my body adjusted to the change in temperature. I was confronted with another light ingesting black stone room. What pitiful lustre that did seep its way into the blackness bounced languidly across the walls and ceiling to reveal a suite of three, perhaps four linked rooms supported at regular intervals by uneven nodular columns. I could make out nothing from which the wail that had filled the corridor could have emanated.

I paused in the doorway to await the arrival of the others. Shortly they caught up with varying levels of noise, though all quieter than they had been. Rodney and Eligos slipped past me into the darkness just before Glen, mounted on his Boar barged past to follow them. Eligos rummaged in her pack and drew out a sunrod. She twisted it and raised it above her head. Bright light glinted from the russet scales of the now koboldish tiefling, illuminating her purple robes and leather amour and cascading out to fill the nearest of the four chambers. As the light pierced the gloom another wail sounded out from the pillars supporting the ceiling. Not only that but they _recoiled _from the luminescence. The light of the sunrod revealed that the pillars were not nodular stone structures but piles of densely packed bodies. The bodies were not whole. Disjointed limbs and torsos jutted from a protoplasmic core that was difficult to discern from amidst the circus of flesh. Heads of all races jutted from the press, their crazed eyes scrunched against the intrusive light as they gnashed their teeth and wailed in protest. The sound of the sunrod crashing to the floor and rolling to one side brought my attention to Eligos as she raised her shield and readied her flail.

"There are demons in there." She said indicating the nearest column. Minron and I readied our weapons and cautiously followed them into the chamber.

The pillars of flesh had settled into a catatonic torpor. Silence was our only companion as we edged our way amongst the slack limbs to investigate the interior of the chamber. Suddenly the silence was broken by an enraged scream from the pillars. Sinewy, taloned claws struck out from the columns to grasp at us. Minron, Eligos and myself managed to jink clear but Rodney and Glen, together with his mount, were not so fortunate. Grasping fingers palpated across the faces and torsos of my companions, gradually drawing them further into the morass of the ululating mob until they disappeared altogether. Just as suddenly as the column near to us had burst into rapacious action they fell silent and still. But in the still darkened chambers to our rear we could hear the same commotion, undoubtedly from other such columns. Very quickly this noise also dissolved to leave only silence.

"Sid!" Glen's shout, tinged with panic, punctuated the darkness of the other rooms. "Sid where are you?" His query was answered with a porcine grunt from somewhere else in the gloom.

"Glen?" Rodney's voice called to add his noise to the dwarf's. "Are you alright? I've emerged near some sort of alter. There's a mask on it. It must be the one we are after." I winced at their racket but there was no helping it now.

"For pity's sake." I called to them as I nocked an arrow. "Grab the pig, grab the mask and lets get the hell out of here."

"He's not a pig, he's a boa.." Glen did not have time to finish his rebuke before the sound of explosion and smell of sulphur filled the chamber. An otherworldly roar soon followed and I did not have to see the source to realise that it was another balgura demon.

I did not have time to ponder the consequences of this before three evistro carnage demons unfolded from encapsulating flesh of the pillars. Without thought I drew back the arrow readied on my bowstring and loosed it at the nearest blood red homunculus. It struck him a mortal wound to the throat, or so I thought. The little demon simply lowered its bald pate to regard the offending shaft before grasping it in the black clawed fingers of its left hand and tearing it free. I sent three more arrows to follow the first, all of them finding their mark. Though hurt even this was not enough to bring the pint sized monster down. My efforts earned me nothing but the attention of the other evistros as they all hurled themselves at me with murderous intent. I barely managed to avoid their charge before Eligos came to my aid and blocked their progress. Having put herself between me and my tormentors she pressed forward to batter them back towards the darkness of another chamber with her flail. Her vicious assault bought me the space I needed to finally dispatch my initial target and put an arrow into the face of a second.

As the arrow struck Rodney came careering around a corner to join us once again in the first chamber. He was surrounded by semi-opaque halo of flame, non of which seemed to be harming him in any way and carrying a silver mask depicting the face of a platinum dragon, the visage of Bahamut himself. The mage was quickly followed by Glen atop Sid.

"There's another of those big hairy horned ones!" He shouted before wheeling Sid to block the path of his unseen pursuer. The pursuer was indeed another balgura and the large hairy demon was not alone. He was accompanied another carnage demon. Charging ahead of his larger cousin the carnage demon closed in on Glen but all he got for his trouble was a face-full of ugrosh. The balgura's attempt to aid the carnage demon was hampered as two bolts of ice arced their way from the palm of Rodney's hands to strike the demon in the chest leaving behind a sheen of frozen moisture clinging to the beast's front, visibly hampering his progress. Their leader thus hampered the evistros redoubled their efforts, savaging Eligos and Glen with their claws. Minron bellowed a plea for aid to the Raven Queen and suddenly the area surrounding the minotaur was bathed in white light. This seemed to agitate the anguished forms within the columns who began suddenly to chant in unison in a language I did not recognise. Their bass tones rumbled through the chamber in a rhythmic beat. Steadily rising in volume and pace their ecclesiastical chorus spurred the demons on even further. Glen and Sid proved an effective block against their single foe but Eligos started to struggle up against two of the beasts. Minron bellowed with rage and charged to Eligos' aid. Crashing into one of the demons he knocked it to the ground. From there it was a simple matter for a well placed arrow to reduce our enemies numbers by one.

Placing yourself directly in the path of a rampaging balgura demon is not normally good for your health, as Glen already knew but the stout warrior continued his defiance of the creature with the help of Rodney. Having recovered from the mage's icy blast the demon once again charged at the dwarf and his pig. Some quick reflexes managed to keep Glen out of harm's way and before the demon knew what was going on he was smashed full in the face by the spectral, but all too solid, apparition of a ram's head. The force of the collision sent the demon careering backwards into the darkness. In avoiding the balgura though Glen had not paid sufficient attention to the chaos demon that menaced him also. A savage swipe of its claws tore through the dwarf's armour and brought forth steams of blood from his torso. To add to the dwarf's misery the balgura chose that precise moment to come roaring once again from the shadows to attack the dwarf. Amazingly, injured though he was, Glen managed to anticipate that attack and land a lethal slash to the demon's throat. The momentum of the beast was not to be thwarted however and it crashed into the dwarf at devastating speed, impaling him on one of its horns and rendering him unconscious. Glen was now helpless and at the mercy of the chaos demon that had torn open his chest. Just as it appeared that the demon might add to our losses in the Well of Demons Rodney came to his rescue and immolated the demon in a searing gout of flame. This left but a single diminutive chaos demon standing against Minron and Eligos. Minron swatted it to the ground with his shield and I finished him off with an arrow.

Though grievous, Glen's injury was not beyond Minron's ability to heal. Unconscious but alive we lay the dwarf on Sid's back and led the beast back to the stables where Vicrael lay waiting in permanent slumber, there to rest a while.


	20. Chapter 20

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

13th Day of Meloramensis – Part I

Thunderspire Mountain – The Proving Grounds

We retreated to the stables. Rodney wasted no time in summoning a light and sitting down in a corner to translate the book he had recovered from the gnoll summoner. Minron sat beside the slumbering Glen to tend his wounds whilst Sid snuffled anxiously nearby. As Minron and Rodney worked, Eligos and I busied ourselves by lighting a fire, putting a kettle on to boil and dishing out some trail rations. As we rummaged through our supplies she turned conspiratorially to whisper to me.

"This form," she glanced down at her torso, "I think it's starting to change me."

I looked up from searching for a biscuit that I was sure was in my pack. "Well you certainly look different," I replied. "Not that you look bad," I added quickly. "Which is not to say you didn't look perfectly n…?"

"I'm not talking about the way I look you stuttering fool." She hissed, "I'm talking about the way I _am. _I'm starting to feel sort of, well, koboldish."

"And how does a kobold feel exactly?" I asked irritably, stung by her rebuke.

"I find that I'm drawn to darkness. Just lighting that fire caused me to recoil. When I have an enemy at my mercy I want to tear him limb from limb."

"It's not like any of us show mercy to our enemies Eligos," I offered.

"No but this is different. Normally it's just something that has to be done and I do it. Now it's starting to feel… pleasurable."

She was clearly very troubled by these changes so I did my best to put her mind at ease. "When we get out of here we'll go straight to that old duffer Silverkin and see if he can't cure you. In the meantime you're doing fine. If you hadn't told me of this I'd never have guessed but now I know I'll keep an eye out, make sure you remain in control."

She looked a little dubious but somewhat reassured I think. She's strong willed that one. If she can't hold off whatever it is that's affecting her then no-one could.

We brewed a cup of the tea that Rodney likes so much and scraped together some food. I risked disturbing his concentration to take some tea over to the mage. As I placed the steaming mug in his hands I enquired as to how his work was going.

"Summoning the understanding of a language from the astral plane can be taxing and more than a little dangerous but so far so good." he replied in-between reticent sips of the hot liquid.

"Anything interesting so far?" I asked.

"No. Just some simpering platitudes to Orcus, Belor and other vile gods."

"Are the other artefacts in there?" I asked, gesturing at his bag. He indicated that they were. "May I?" I asked indicating that I'd like to examine them.

"Of course, just be careful with them."

I took the knife, the mask and the bell and laid them on the floor. They seemed to almost pulsate with malevolent energy. "So these will open the way to the trial that awaits us down here."

"As long as I can find something in here that tells us how to open the way." Rodney replied.

I left Rodney to it and went to try and get some sleep whilst Minron watched over Glen and kept a lookout. When I awoke the dwarf was awake and scratching Sid under the chin whilst feeding our rations to him.

"Fattening him up are we?" I asked whilst rising to a sitting position. He flicked his eyes sidelong towards me in a reproachful glance.

"Funny." In reprimand Glen reached into my pack and pulled out a trail biscuit which he promptly fed to the boar. "There you go Sid. This is nasty Hogar's way of saying sorry." I hauled myself to my feet and headed off to see how Rodney was getting on.

"I'm glad to see you looking better master dwarf."

The mage was rather excited, or at least as close as I have yet seen him. Not only does the book contain instructions on how to progress through the Well of Demons; it turns out that the figures in the pillars we encountered yesterday were past adventurers in the Well of Demons whose essence had been bound to the room where they died. What's more the book contains instructions on how to reverse the spell which should release the figures contained within and even return them to life. Clearly we had to give it a try so we packed up our gear and made our way back to the chambers.

We twisted sunrods in preparation for the gloom this time. As we entered, a line of torchbearers cutting through the darkness, the deformed body parts within the columns shied away from us. We stopped in the centre of the room, out of reach for any flailing limbs and formed a circle around the mage facing outwards. I heard the faint flop of a weighty tome falling open, swiftly followed by the hum of Rodney's voice. He spoke quickly in a language that I did not recognise. His ululating tone grew to a clamour and from over my shoulder I could just make out a vaguely purple glow. This same mauve luminescence started to emanate from the compressed spaces between the bodies within the pillars. All of the heads within the morass of flesh turned up towards the ceiling and began to howl in unison with the mystical tones of the mage. Gradually the purple light blinded me to all else and the howls from the pillars turned to agonised screams, accompanied by the sound of tearing flesh and popping bones. Just as the noise reached a crescendo it stopped, the light faded and the pillars were gone. In their place was a sea of prostrate bodies almost carpeting the floor. Naked as the day they were born they began to rise as if from slumber. Slightly unnerved at suddenly being surrounded by a hundred or so people; mainly humans, a few halfings and a smattering of more exotic races, we almost subconsciously readied our weapons. We needn't have worried. These people were not of a malevolent mood. Even if they had been they were too addled to have been a serious threat, especially as they were all without clothes or weaponry.

Confused, humiliated and more than a little angry this mob wanted nothing as much as to be out of here. We, all of us, offered up our bedrolls to be cut into strips of cloths to be used to preserve the modesty of as many of the newly freed rabble as possible. Even so there are going to quite a few blushes in the Seven Pillared Hall on their return, from both the fugitives and the hosts I imagine. One amongst their number did take an interest in how he had come to be free. A dragonborn sorcerer called Krevath. He wasted little time in marching up to Rodney and questioning the mage on how he had managed to translate the tome. He was even so impertinent as to question the reliability of Rodney's translation and suggest alternative methods which he considered obviously better. I suppose that's gratitude for you!

"I think I shall accompany you to the well," he declared after quizzing a reluctant Rodney for several minutes, "I should like to see what lies beyond the Well of Demons."

"If your going anywhere with me then the first thing you need to do is find some clothes." Eligos called from across the room, her distaste for the dragonborn evident.

Glen was dispatched, mounted upon Sid, to ride back to the room where the defeated gnoll summoner lay and fetch something for Krevath to wear. He returned a short while later with some robes and a staff he had managed to loot from a stash somewhere. Thus prepared we made our way back to the central corridor of the well where the circles of power were located. When we arrived Rodney handed out the artefacts. Minron took the dagger, Glen the mask, Eligos the bell and the book Rodney kept himself.

"We need to place these in the circles at the same time," Rodney instructed, "so wait for my call before placing them. Hogar, I would be grateful if you would accompany me." I nodded my assent.

Krevath drew breath as if to mutter something, probably an 'improvement' on Rodney's plan, but Eligos interrupted before he could give voice to his thoughts.

"You can come with me dragon-man. I want to make sure you don't cause us any trouble."

We went our separate ways. Rodney and I picked our way through a dusty corridor. Scattered about the floor at an alarmingly regular interval were mouldering skeletons which looked like they had been there for some time. Shortly we found the circle of pulsating magical energy which we sought. The glowing blue disc was roughly the height of a man in circumference and traced some sort of runic pattern on the floor. If it had any meaning it was completely obscure to me. Rodney produced the book from somewhere within his robes before calling out to the others with a clear strong voice.

"On the count of three place the artefact in the circle."

"Hang on," Glen's voice floated back, "are you going to count up to three or down from three?"

Rodney sighed. "I'll count down from three. Three…"

"Hang on!" Glen's urgent tones sounded out again. "Are we going to place the item in the circle as you say 'one', after you've said 'one' or are you going to say something else like 'now' when we're supposed to place it?"

Rodney almost imperceptibly clenched his jaw before replying. "I'll say 'now' after 'one'. As I say 'now' place the artefact in the circle."

Eventually we managed to get all of the artefacts placed in the circles at the same time. The book blazed with a magical light of brilliant intensity before disappearing altogether, along with the magic disc. As the book disappeared a door someway to our right swung open with tremendous force banging loudly on its hinges. Through the murky corridors we heard Eligos' voice call out.

"Krevath! Get back here!"

Her only response was a deep menacing serpentine roar, loud enough to make the entire chamber quake. Rodney set off in the direction of the roar, dodging between the skeletons strewn across the floor. Suddenly one of the skeletons jerked to life, or at least un-death, and grabbed the mage around the knees. I quickly drew an arrow and shot it into the creature's ribcage. As usual the presence of iron reduced the necromantic magic that animated the bones. Unusually all of the skeletons in the area raised their heads to let out a howl of pain. I sent another arrow to follow the first. It had the same effect which was sufficient to allow Rodney slip the grasp of his captor. Thus freed the mage released a wave of energy which sent the skeleton crashing into the far wall. Satisfied that these skeletons posed little threat, I took the opportunity to run past, through the open door and back into the main corridor. As I rounded the corner I encountered Eligos and Krevath. Blood was pouring forth from Krevath's ears and he was looking a little worse for wear. They were standing in a doorway between a wide corridor and a medium sized room with a towering ceiling. Another serpentine roar sounded out from the lofty heights. I looked up to see a young dragon hovering under heavy wing-beats. He was perhaps twenty feet from tip of nose to tip of tail and bright burnished copper in colour with a gleaming almost liquid green tinge to the scaled ruffles around his throat and neck. Clutched in his talon was the flailing figure of Minron. Light glinted from the minotaur's sword and his scarlet cloak fluttered behind him like a wing of his own as he flailed and stabbed at the creature's foot.

I drew forth an arrow and paused to take aim. I loosed and the arrow arced upwards towards the dragon's heart. The dragon was nimble though and managed to dodge to one side. Even though it did not strike home, the arrow was enough of a distraction for Minron to land a blow on the opaque webbed tissue of the dragon's wing. This cut disoriented the dragon sufficiently that he spiralled to the ground, releasing Minron as he did so. As the duo hit the ground Glen came charging into the chamber from the opposite end to me and slashed the dragon with his ugrosh. Krevath and Eligos wasted no time in piling the pressure on the confused beast, casting a spell over him and charging in, weapon raised, respectively.

His confidence shaken by this sudden onslaught the dragon sprang back into the air flew over Glen's head and out of the chamber. As the dragon disappeared around the corner I saw Glen lean over in his saddle as if to vomit. I didn't stay to pay too much attention to the dwarf however; instead I ducked out of the room and back into the corridor where I found myself face to face with the dragon. I shot him in the chest but this had little effect other than focusing his evil intent upon me. The copper lizard rose up on its hind legs and drew breath. Pouches either side of his throat expanded, ready to spit his venom over me no doubt.

My saviour was Minron at full sprint. He had followed the dragon's rout out of the chamber and now with his shield raised in front of him he leapt into the air and crashed into the serpent's back, right between his shoulder blades. The dragon lurched forwards to land back on all fours. There was no respite for the creature as Glen and Sid once more appeared just behind Minron to strike the dragon again. The sorcerer Krevath appeared at my side and summoned a fireball which he hurled into the dragon's face prompting screams of pain from the creature.

The dragon was not done though. Once again it hauled itself onto its hind legs, this time to face Minron and Glen. The skin at its throat bulged as before and he unleashed a torrent of acidic venom over the two fighters. The liquid ate at the flesh and armour of the two unfortunate fighters, giving rise to plumes of smoke as their flesh dissolved. Even as I sent two further shafts into the dragon's back Minron resisted the pain of the dragon's savage attack to plunge his sword into the beast's abdomen. As the young dragon doubled over in pain Minron dropped his shield, reversed his sword over his head and plunged the blade with two hands into the top of the dragon's skull. The dragon opened its maw in a final scream and sprayed venom over the walls before collapsing and falling silent for the last time. Minron hauled his blade free, wiped it clean on the soft flesh of the dragon's throat and sheathed it. Then he drew his dagger, pulled up the dragon's lip and started to saw at one of its fangs. I was about to ask him what he was doing when Rodney appeared out of the chamber where the dragon had appeared cradling an egg that was nearly the size of his torso.

"Any idea what we should do with this?" he asked.

"It would make a hell of an omelette." Glen replied.

"I'm surprised that you can think of food," I said, "didn't you throw up back there?"

"Yeah," he answered, wiping his lips with his sleeve, "some sort of blue man came out!"

"A _what?_" I asked

"It was an elemental sprite." Eligos offered, "I took care of it."

"Remind me not eat anything that you've cooked ever again." I said to the dwarf.

Rodney looked at the egg and frowned, "I think I'll just keep it." he said.

"You can't carry that with you in here!" Krevath exclaimed, "How will you defend yourself?"

"Oh don't worry," Rodney assured him, "I can make it disappear and reappear again."

Before Krevath could ask another question we heard the sound of stone grating over stone behind us. Part of the wall had slid open to reveal a dark passageway.


	21. Chapter 21

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

13th Day of Meloramensis – Part II

Thunderspire Mountain – The Inner Sanctum

Minron lead us through the dark passageway and into a yellow marble clad room. Floor, walls and ceiling were all encased in the smooth polished stone. The walls rose twenty feet to a ceiling partially obscured by fine tendrils of smoke. The wisps emanated from four large iron cauldrons sitting atop braziers in the corners of the chamber. They threw out a dusky light that suffused the room with an almost golden glow. The cauldrons were of a size that made one suspicious as to what exactly they were intended to cook; they could accommodate a man-sized creature most comfortably. The percolation of whatever broth they contained was the only sound in the otherwise silent chamber.

To the right a tall platform jutted out from an otherwise smooth wall. In the centre of the platform there was a golden idol in the likeness of a cross-legged meditating kobold, doubtless some ancient prophet of the Platinum Dragon himself. My attention was drawn away from the platform by the sound of my companions drawing their weapons in response to some threat on our left.

The threat was in the form of a gnoll priest loitering behind a stone alter. The man-dog's matted green fur was speckled with light brown spots and about his shoulders hung a voluminous black leather cape that covered him from shoulders to feet. Behind him were the two human slaves we had been searching for. They were held motionless, suspended a few inches above the floor, within a circle of glowing runes etched into the marble. To the gnoll's right there loomed the ominous yet motionless figure of a bronze warder.

The gnoll reacted to our presence by unfolding both hands from the recesses of his cloak to raise them over his head. In doing so he revealed that what I had taken to be a leather cloak was in fact a pair of wings, similar in appearance to those of a bat but of adequate size for the creature before us. In his right hand he held a golden mace which he brought down to crash into the alter with a sudden fierce movement. The crack that sounded in response was beyond anything that could have been expected from such a collision. The chamber filled with a cloud of blood red smoke and the smell of sulphur. As the smoke cleared I could make out to the gnoll's left the hulking form of a balgura demon flanked by two carnage demons.

"I have been expecting you." The gnoll slurred through his canine maw. "I did wonder if our guardian had feasted on you as you were taking so long, however I am not surprised you got this far. My name is Maldric Scarmaker and I have been observing you from afar for many days now. You are an impressive band. Nevertheless your efforts have been futile." he turned to address his newly summoned demons, "dispatch them. "

The screech of metal on metal heralded the awakening of the warder as he twisted his massive bronze head to focus his glowing red eyes on Minron. His shoulders swivelled and his torso twisted as he swatted at the minotaur with a massive double bladed axe. Minron managed to dodge out of the way only to find himself in the path of the rapidly advancing balgura. he braced himself and met the charge on his shield, twisting at the point of impact Minron deflected the demon onwards and past him where he skidded to a confused halt. The balgura was closely followed by the two carnage demons who gnashed and menaced the stalwart minotaur, drawing his attention away from the powerful balgura. The balgura used this opportunity to approach Minron from behind. As he raised a claw ready to deliver a devastating blow to the back of Minron's head I hastily loosed an arrow that sunk satisfyingly deep into the demon's armpit. The creature twisted awkwardly in pain and shock and tried to wrench the shaft free with his other hand.

An arrow to the balgura did not stop the rest of our enemies though. As the carnage demons continued to swarm around Minron, Maldric raised his mace once again and pointed the tip of it at Minron. A bolt of energy swept forth from the weapon and struck Minron in the chest. At its impact the mighty minotaur doubled over with pain and sank to his knees.

The carnage demons wasted no time in pressing home the attack against my vulnerable friend. Eligos and Glen moved swiftly to his aid. Eligos' lightly scaled russet skin rippled and shook as she transformed into her ram-like form and charged into the balgura, knocking him backwards. As quick as a flash she occupied the space where the demon had been and swung at him with her flail. The spiked ball glanced off the creature's thick hide and clanged loudly into the metal hide of the warder.

There was no respite for the balgura as Glen, mounted upon Sid, charged in immediately in the wake of Eligos. The boar's tusks pierced the creatures shaggy hide and stuck in his flesh pinning him to Sid and leaving him perilously within reach of Glen's Ugrosh. Standing in his stirrups the dwarf made three savage swings with the axe, tearing great rents in the creatures throat and torso. The beast dropped to the ground with a howl that slowly gurgled to silence, drowned in the demons flowing blood.

The carnage demons took up the howl of their dieing companion and swarmed over curled up figure of Minron, savagely biting and clawing at any exposed area of flesh. The mighty warrior sprang to his feet roaring something in a language I did not understand. As he reached his full height a column of light shot down from the ceiling, a blessing from the Raven Queen. Our foes seemed to wither in its presence. They all toppled to the ground disoriented, even the mighty Warder.

The effects of the light on the warder did not last long however, and the automaton's retribution was terrible. With a single swing of his massive axe he knocked Eligos and Minron to the ground. A second swing crashed into Glen and Sid sending them skidding over the marble flagstones. Finally it raised the axe over its head and brought it down in a vicious chop that would surely have been the end for the prone Minron. Fortunately he was able to roll onto his back and raise his shield just as the blade came down. The heavy blade crashed into the shield with such force that it left a large gash in its surface and sent it flying from the minotaur's grip. Relentless the warder raised its axe again to deliver another blow. Glen roared as he urged Sid forward to try and stop the deadly blow, but before he could get there Maldric flicked a hand lazily in his direction. Instantaneously the dwarf levitated from his saddle to float helplessly eight feet above the ground. Not easily deterred he swung his ugrosh at the warder regardless. It did little damage but was sufficient to distract the warder from slaughtering Minron. Minron seized the opportunity to scramble to his feet. He levelled his longsword at the warder and a bolt of lightning shot from the tip of the blade to strike it in the chest. The warder staggered backwards under the force of the blast and began juddering uncontrollably.

Suddenly Krevath appeared in the space where the warder had previously been. He ran past the carnage demons, receiving a scratch or two for his troubles and straight at Maldric. A bolt of energy shot from Krevath's hands towards the gnoll but Krevath was able to step backwards and avoid it. As he did to he produced a glass jar from somewhere about his person that was filled with some sort of black liquid. He removed the stopper and poured the liquid on the ground. The amount of liquid seemed endless, far more than could reasonably be contained within the jar. Yet it continued to emerge, and as it hit the ground it coalesced into a four-legged apparition of a nightmarish hound. I recognised it as a shadow beast. The beast lashed at the sorcerer with ethereal claws that shredded his robes and scaled hide with ease. Shocked by the savagery of the attack from this unexpected adversary Krevath retreated hastily back into the corridor.

No sooner had the new boy fled than Rodney stepped forward to take his place. Bolts of ice flew from his hands towards Maldric and his shadowy pet. Both managed to avoid the projectiles easily enough but the mage followed up with wave of energy that pushed Maldric backwards. The gnoll staggered back for several steps until he bumped into one of the bubbling cauldrons placing his hands on the rim to steady himself. As he did so a large black tentacle shot forth from the receptacle and coiled itself about his torso. Before Maldric had time to react the tentacle pulled him backwards and he pivoted over the lip of the cauldron to plunge into the bubbling black liquid within. As he disappeared whatever magic was holding Glen up in the air dissipated and the dwarf fell to the ground with a thud.

As this was happening Eligos moved to attack the two carnage demons. A mighty swing of her flail struck both of them in the face killing the first of them instantly. Instantaneously she whipped the ball and chain into a backswing that caused it to wrap around the second demon's ankle. Such was the force that the kobaldish-tiefling put into the swing that the unfortunate creature had his legs taken from under him and he crashed to the floor, landing alongside the freshly grounded Glen. The dwarf quickly sprang to his feet and summarily removed the creatures head from his shoulders.

Perhaps emboldened by the death of the carnage demons, Krevath reappeared to fire two more magical bolts of energy at the shadow demon. He missed. Twice. I sighed at his incompetence before sending an arrow into the depths of the shadowy creature. The arrow disappeared silently into the void that was the beast's torso. The creature glanced briefly at the location where the arrow had disappeared before turning to regard me. After the briefest second the shadow melted into the flagstones to be seen no more.

A loud clang and a crunch returned our attention to the warder. Slowly he brought his juddering under control. Steam shot from its nostrils as it once again fixed its red stare upon Minron. The bronze hulk lumbered at the minotaur and swatted him aside with a sweep of its axe. Before it could follow up and strike Minron again Eligos bounded across the room to slam into the warder with her ram's horns. The force of the attack was enough to spin the warder around and send it crashing to the ground. It tried to rise immediately to its feet but collapsed under its own significant weight. Its cause was further harmed as Eligos flail smashed into its back. One of the spikes pierced its metal hide and a great geyser of smoke shot out from the creatures hellish interior.

Through this pillar of steam I saw first one clawed hand and then another, rise from the depths of Maldric's cauldron to grasp the edge. Slowly, with a great effort, he hauled himself from the murky black depths to emerge from the pot and stand once again on the marble floor. Unspeakable black ooze dripped from every inch of his body to form dark pools on the pale marble flagstones. His green fur had been singed almost completely from his body leaving only isolated tufts of green fur sprouting from raw scalded flesh.

"You will pay for that." he growled at Rodney.

"Oh look, wings has rejoined the party." Glen exclaimed with mock joy.

The dwarf savagely chopped his ugrosh into the exposed neck of the prone warder before charging at Maldric and impaling him on the spear-tipped end of the weapon. The gnoll roared in pain and frustration. He retaliated with a hefty smack to the dwarf's head with his mace that left Glen visibly dazed. He made to crack the dwarf again but before he could do so my arrow took him in the throat. The strike sent him tumbling backwards into the cauldron once again, this time never to emerge.

"It seems I must do everything myself." A voice sounded from behind us.

I turned just in time to see a portal close behind the slender figure of an aged human male who stood next to the golden idol atop the raised platform. His oiled long hair was slate grey and gathered at the nape of his neck. A neat beard of the same shade clung to his gaunt cheeks. He was dressed in the same red robes as the mages of the Seven Pillared Hall and carried a wooden staff. He did not have to announce himself, he could be no other than Paldemar, the rogue mage from the hall.

Before anyone could adjust to the presence of a new threat in the room a bolt of lightning shot from the tip of his staff to strike Eligos in the chest. Upon striking it forked in two different directions to strike me and Minron as well. Every part of me tensed and contorted at the impact and all consciousness was given over to the white heat of pain. Paldemar did not even allow time for the pain to subside before launching a second attack. He raised his staff above his head with both hands as he muttered some arcane words of power. A spark of energy fizzed and crackled in the centre of the room. At first it was no larger than a hen's egg but quickly it grew big enough to swallow a man. A broiling, swirling sphere of electric blue energy. Small jagged charges danced over the surface of the sphere until it became to big to contain its own power. It ruptured into a cascade of lightning bolts that streaked out towards us. One of the deadly forks struck me in the chest and hurled me across the room.

Dazed I rolled onto my knees as a hacking cough overcame me. I could taste iron on the back of my tongue and feel the slow viscous seep of blood from my ears and nose. I tried to rise but found that I lacked the strength. A gentle hand was placed on the back of my head. I twisted to see the figure of Minron crouched next to me, just as bloodied as I.

"That mage must die ranger." he said. "Please see it done before he sends more of us to join Vic."

The touch of his hand grew warm as he channelled the healing power of the Raven Queen into me. Reinvigorated I stood and drew back an arrow. Paldemar was too busy surveying the prone figures of my comrades to pay too much attention to me. I loosed the arrow and it struck home just under the left hand side of his ribcage. That got his attention all-right. The mage huffed as the arrow drove the air from his lungs and looked at me in surprise. Then he vanished. One moment he was there the next… nothing. I sent a speculative arrow in the direction of where he had been but it did nothing more than clatter harmlessly into the wall.

The warder, steam billowing from the hole in his torso clambered rather unsteadily to its feet and swiped at Eligos with its axe. Eligos tried to roll away but could not avoid a glancing blow. The movement of the warder seemed to animate Rodney. Having also been knocked to the ground by Paldemar's attack he rose to his knees and thrust two hands towards the top of the raised platform. The spectre of a Ram's head tore itself free of the mage's body and streaked to the top of the platform. There was a burst of magical energy and suddenly Paldemar reappeared as he tumbled from the platform to land heavily on the floor below.

"Your trinket gives you away Paldemar." Rodney said. "Kill the mage and the minotaur will fall." he called to us.

Eligos took up the task immediately and charged into Paldemar before he could stand. With blood pouring from his chest and head Paldemar managed to gain his feet and release a burst of energy that sent Eligos and Minron flying. Glen tried to retaliate but was unable to connect with his ugrosh, Krevath joined in with more success.

As we gathered around Paldemar to try and bring an end to this confrontation the warder resumed its attack, this time targeting Rodney who was now isolated from the rest of us. As the blade of its large double bladed axe arced inexorably towards the mage Minron threw himself at Rodney and managed to push him out of harm's way. Sadly he could not manage such safety for himself. The blade struck him in the centre of his breastplate with full force. The minotaur was lifted bodily from the floor to fly through the air until he struck the far wall and collapsed to the ground, where he moved no more.

Rodney unleashed a magical bolt at the lurching steaming contraption as he backed away, out of reach of its flailing axe. "Kill Paldemar." He called to us "and this thing will stop".

I sunk two arrows into the red robes of Paldemar as Glen stabbed him with his ugrosh. Paldemar was beginning to look weak. That he attacked Eligos by hitting her with his staff rather than some sort of spell spoke volumes as to hit state. In a panic he squeezed himself back into the corner of the room. As his back hit the marble he reached inside his tunic and yanked an amulet free from his neck. Raising the trinket high over his head he screamed, "Protect me, _protect your master._" At the warder.

The warder responded by turning from Rodney and careering towards those harassing his master. He raised his axe, ready to unleash it in an arc that would sweep Glen, Krevath and Eligos from before Paldemar. But I was too quick. My first arrow embedded itself in Paldemar's wrist causing him to drop the amulet to the ground. As soon as the necklace left his grip the warder froze where it stood. As he turned to survey his wounded wrist my second arrow sunk into his temple killing the rogue mage before he so much as hit the ground.

They were all dead. A soft his mingled with the steady simmering of the cauldrons as steam continued to escape from the now inanimate warder. As Eligos and I moved to revive Minron Rodney searched Paldemar's corpse and Krevath retrieved Marldric's jar from where it had fallen to the floor. Somehow it was still full of dark liquid.

"So what now?" Krevath asked after Minron had come around and sat on the floor rubbing his head.

"Well we free them for a start." Glen said, indicating the still trapped humans. "Then I suppose we take his corpse back to mages and see what sort of reward is on offer."

"We need to collect Vic and give him a proper funeral." I added.

"And then we need to find some way to return me to normal." Chimed in Eligos.

"It's a long walk back to the Hall." I said. "We'd better get started."

"There's no need." Rodney looked up from flicking through a book that he had found on Paldemar. "If I'm reading this correctly then it's a portal spell. I can teleport us there."

The mage is preparing the incantation now. Personally I think I'd rather walk.


	22. Chapter 22

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

13th Day of Meloramensis – Part III

Thunderspire Mountain – The Seven Pillared Hall

Glen trotted off on Sid to retrieve Vicrael's body as Rodney made his preparations to transport us back to the hall. When he returned we huddled together, a mass of broken and bruised flesh. Rodney traced a circle around us with the tip of his staff and muttered something unintelligible. Suddenly pale blue light exploded from everywhere at once and a whooshing noise filled my ears. It built towards a crescendo, becoming thoroughly un-enjoyable and even painful. Just as I thought I could take no more it began to subside. The light sank into the structures of the Seven Pillared Hall and the noise coalesced into the familiar drone of many people going about their daily business together. I found myself between the feet of the eighty foot tall minotaur statue face to face with Brugg and one of the mages.

Rodney, Glenn and Krivath explained to the powers that be what had happened down in the Well of Demons and the part that their estranged colleague Paldemar had played in the kidnapping epidemic. Minron accompanied Eligos to the mages' resident healer to see whether they could do anything about her transformation. That left me to take Vic's body back to the shop. Glenn offered me Sid's reigns and the beast allowed me to lead him, laden with the shrouded figurer of Vic, back to the shop. As I made my way across the hall I heard the fluttering of wings which signalled the reappearance of Rook. He landed on the pommel of Sid's saddle and proceeded to clean him wings with his beak.

"Where have you been?" I asked, "I haven't seen you since you went for that swim in blood." He hopped around to face me and flapped his wings in rebuke.

_Here and there, _his voice sounded in my head, i_t takes a long time to get blood out of feathers with just a beak. _He turned his head to regard the shrouded corpse lay across the back of the boar. _I saw his death through your eyes. He was brave, and perhaps a bit stupid._

"Oh he had both of those qualities in spades." I replied, placing my hand on Vic's back. "Perhaps a little too much of the latter."

_So now you will burn him?_

"It is our way." I said. "Orcus cannot make use of ashes as he can rotting flesh and mouldering bone. What of you?" I asked. "We will leave this place now and search for a cure for the tiefling. Will you join us?"

_I will. A cavern is no place for a crow; however spacious it may be. And your thoughts invade my own in oppressive detail so I may as well see for myself what happens to you._

We reached the shop and I tethered Sid in the small stable at the back before going in to see whether anyone could give me a hand with Vic. The bell tinkled jauntily above my head as I entered the shop to find Charrak and the paladin Robert lounging with their feet on the table in mid conversation.

"Ranger!" Bob stood and came forward to greet me. When I'd last seen him he was clad in shining plate from head to toe, recovering from the attentions of the vampire lord at Silverkin Manor. Here he was dressed simply in homespun tunic and breeches. His sandy hair was cut short and two days of stubble bristled from his jaw. "You have returned." A mote of confusion passed across his features as he realised that I was alone. "Are the others with you?"

"They are attending to the business of reward with the mages." I said, "as well as one or two other things. I could use your assistance in their absence."

"Of course." He said amiably. "Anything to assist one of my saviours. What is it."

"Vic… has died. I'd like you to help me carry him in."

Bob and Charrak both took a minute or so to splutter their surprise and condolences before helping me to carry Vic into one of the back rooms.

"I will offer a prayer to Bahamut for him." Bob said as we left the room.

"The test that killed him was in honour of the Platinum Dragon." I replied curtly. "Your god has done enough for him already. The Raven Queen will look after her own." The paladin had the good grace not to call me up on my rudeness.

Having conducted their business the others returned with a pouch of gold coins, an offer to forge an enchanted weapon for Glen (I have no idea how he persuaded them to do that!) and no cure for the unfortunate Eligos. We are going to rest here for tonight and then go to Silverkin Manor to see whether Jacob can do any better.

As I tried to get some rest Minron was still awake in the shop. Illuminated by flickering torchlight he had hunched over a new shield that he had purchased to replace the one ruined by the warder in the Well of Demons. He was scratching away at the boss with a small knife. Despairing of sleep I roused myself to go and see what he was up to. On the bench next to him was the tooth he had removed from the dragon. Before him a recess was appearing in the shield boss roughly the size of a tooth. By morning his shield would proudly display his grim trophy to friend and enemy alike.

"Minron Dragonslayer." I said approvingly. Minotaurs don't smile but he definitely contrived to look happy before replying.

"It was a good kill. Vic would have been proud."

"It was and he would." I replied, gripping his shoulder. "I'm proud as well, Dragonslayer."

14th Day of Meloramensis – Part I

Thunderspire Mountain – Silverkin Mansion

We rose early the next morning. Glen was up first and had breakfast waiting for us in the common room.

"Sausages?" I asked as I recognised the smell. "What would your best friend think about you eating one of his cousins for breakfast?"

"What he doesn't know can't hurt him," was the curt reply "and if you want me to continue cooking it you wont be saying any more about it."

I took a seat at the table and Charrak fussed about me fetching food and ale. Eventually I shooed him away.

"I'm quite capable of fetching myself a slice of bacon Charrak. Why don't you get yourself some food?" The small brown creature wrung his hands apologetically and bounced up and down in his excitement.

"Oh no sir. Charrak must see that you are all catered for sir. Charrak does so enjoy the shop having so many people in it again. Oh yes!"

As Minron, Krevath and Rodney came in to join us Charrak scuttled off to fetch breakfast for them. For a while we sat and ate our breakfast waiting for Eligos to emerge so that we could head off to the teleportation circle. When she did arrive the reason for her delay was evident.

"Minron!" her voice echoed through the door several seconds before we saw her. Eventually a female kobold burst through the door, naked except for a sheet she had hastily wrapped about herself. "I've turned into a kobold!"

Silence dropped over the room like a heavy blanket. It was only broken when Charrak trotted into the room with a pewter cup in hand. When he saw the new Eligos he stopped dead in his tracks and the mug tinkled across the flagstones as he lost his grip on it. His eyes were transfixed and though you wouldn't think it possible for a creature covered in russet scales to blush, I could swear he did.

"What are you staring at whelp?" She hissed at the poor creature. He fled as though faced with Belor himself.

Minron rose and went over to her. "This is not unexpected," he said inspecting her arm "the condition progresses. We should head to Silverkin Manor soon.

"I can't go anywhere!" Eligos almost screamed. "None of my clothers or armour fit! I'm not going anywhere."

"I can adjust your equipment." Rodney said. "It will take a little while, best to get started." He rose and gently ushered her out of the room.

We waited until Eligos emerged once again clad in her purple robes and body armour re-sized to suit her now diminutive frame. If her right hand she clutched a halberd in place of her flail.

"What's with the weapon change?" I asked her?

"I'd struggle to hit most foes above the ankle with a flail like this." She replied. "This will give me a bit more reach."

We tramped to the teleportation circle. Some quick words from the attendant mage. Some more piercing white light and instantaneously we found ourselves standing in the library at Silverkin Manor. Rook fluttered from my shoulder to climb to the loftiest heights of the soaring room. _Impressive _his awed voice came to me faintly.

Jacob was not in the library. As Minron, Rodney and Eligos set off to the kitchens to look for him I led Glen outside with Sid in tow carrying Vic over his back.

"You need to construct a pyre?" The dwarf asked.

"Yes." I replied. "It's Praetorium tradition. It prevents our fallen from becoming the pawns of Orcus."

"You are part of the Praetorium?" Krevath piped up. He had tagged along with us and his interest had suddenly been piqued.

"Yes." I answered. "and Minron as well."

"You do not wear their symbol."

"We are scouts." I said. "Sometimes it's beneficial if people don't immediately know our allegiance."

"What was this Vic's full name?" The dragonborn asked, now visibly excited.

"Vicrael of Endhaven. What's getting you so excited?"

"How old was he?"

"I don't know." I said, starting to get a little annoyed. "A hundred and fifty or something stupid like that."

Krevath placed a clawed hand on Sid's bridle and brought the beast to a halt. "May I look upon him?" He asked, indicating the shrouded corpse.

He was in such earnest that I did not refuse him. He drew the pale cloth back and revealed the face of my commander. Vicreal's skin had pulled taught across the bones of his face and his eyes had sunk back into their sockets. The waxy hue had gone from his complexion. He looked pale, fragile and empty.

"He looks different" Krivath murmured. "but it is him."

"You knew him?" Glen asked in surprise.

"Yes. My clan came to the defence of Fallcrest when the Bloodspears invaded. I met Vic there and he offered to recruit me into the Praetorium."

"What?" There was too much information in that one statement for me to take it all in at once. Vic had fought against my grandfather? This dragonborn was an acquaintance of his from 90 years ago? "Did he not recruit you then?" was the question I settled on.

"No, I abandoned him." He replied sadly. "Before Falcrest fell I managed to escape with some of my clan and never saw him again. I had thought him dead."

"You abandoned him to die? In your place I would keep such a craven story to myself. You are in the company of Vic's friends and companions at arms." I growled at him.

"Before I would have agreed with you. The guilt I felt for my actions weighed on me for the next forty years. Eventually it drove me seek out the challenge of the Platinum Dragon to prove my valour, to myself as much as any other. That bought me half a century of contemplation inside that pillar, until you set me free. I have been foolish, selfish and cowardly for most of my existence. I do not wish to add liar to my list of character flaws."

"It's time for us to build him a pyre." I said and stalked off into the woods.

We headed off into the tangled forests surrounding Silverkin Manor and cut down some trees to build a grand funeral pyre for Vic. After a while we had constructed a lattice of tree trunks sufficient to fuel a hot blaze. The others filed out of the house as the sun began to fall behind the mountains to the west. Vic's shadow was cast long over the ground, a dark mantle draped over a tired land made orange by the fading sun. Minron lit two torches and passed one to me. As the last of the light faded away we strode forwards together and thrust our torches into the lattice of wood. I stepped back to stand alongside Glen as the flames rose to lick at the oh so still form lay atop them. We had dressed Vic in the finest clothes he had with him a lain trousers and a purple velvet jacket that I had always relished teasing him about. His hands clasped his wand to his chest and all of his belongings were placed alongside him for the trip to the Raven Queen's realm.

"Are you going to say anything?" Glen asked me as Vic passed from view behind an orange curtain of flame.

"Vic does all the talking." I replied.


	23. Chapter 23

Hogar's Journal (Translated from Giant)

Year 781 of the founding of the City

15th Day of Meloramensis – Part I

Thunderspire Mountain – Silverkin Manor

I awoke face down on a cold stone floor. I opened my right eye and saw nothing but pale blurred white light. Gradually this coalesced into grey flagstones and a wooden chair leg, all masked by a screen of unruly hair. I tried to draw breath. As I did so something caught in my throat and induced a coughing fit. As my body shook and juddered white hot needles of pain lanced into my eyeballs, phlegm flew from my lips and snot dribbled from my nose. Carefully I placed the palms of both hands on the flagstones and pushed myself up. A gentle suction resisted the separation of my left cheek from the stone floor. As I prised myself upwards I felt something drip from my face to the ground. Turning my head I noticed some stew or broth or something in a puddle where I had been lay; generously cut bits of turnip or carrot in a thin sauce. I drew in a breath to let out a groan on behalf of my aching head and the acid tang of vomit invaded my nostrils, betraying the substance for what it truly was. I could only hope that it was in fact my own.

The smell made me choke and retch. I rolled into a sitting position to get away from it. Placing my head in my hands I started to run my fingers through my hair and had to stop when the resistance of encrusted vomit halted progress. I became aware of sound. A low bass thrum, rhythmic in its intonation. Singing in a male voice. Glen's voice.

"_Oooh… a course lass she was,_

_lewd and abrupt._

_She jumped upon me,_

_And right there we fu…"_

"Glen!" I interrupted, my face still buried in my hands. "Could you please, please be quiet?"

"Orkshpawn!" he exclaimed. "Yourrup! Hadda hav a little resht, resht, resht…" I peered up through my fingers to see him sat atop the table, boisterously waving about a tankard in his left hand, liberally spraying the room with foamy beer. There is no more sure sign that a dwarf is drunk than when he spills beer without mourning the loss. In his lap was a small barrel of beer which he caressed like a mother with a new-born babe. . "Hadda hav a resht there didya?" He raised the tankard to his lips and took a deep, long draught.

It was difficult to tell what time it was. Jacob had boarded the windows of his mansion up long before we ever came here and Glen's friends Bob and Eric had not seen fit to open them up in the time they had stayed here since. A halo of light surrounded the thick timbers boarding the aperture up, highlighting the motes of dust that danced about in the ancient room. The sun was up but how long it had been so I could not tell. The permanent gloom of the place was held at bay by a myriad of candles; on candelabra's adorning the massive table, in sconces and in a large and grand chandelier suspended from the high ceiling. Their dancing light illuminated a table strewn with platters of leftover food, overturned tankards, dirty plates and one raucous drunken dwarf.

"What time is it?"

"Lllong past the time I drunk you under the table ranger. Llllllong past! Here," he plonked the barrel on the table with a thud and began to fill a tankard with foamy ale. "have another."

"Don't you think we've had enough?"

"Well he certainly has." Glen gestured to the other side of the table.

I stood to get a better view. Lying flat on his back on the cold stone floor was Minron. He was fast asleep with his mouth open and his tongue lolling out to one side. His right leg twitched occasionally as he gently snored away. Glen hopped off the table and marched up to Minron to try and awaken him with the toe of his boot. The big minotaur rocked gently from side to side completely oblivious to the dwarf's efforts. Undeterred Glen placed his tankard on the table with the exceptional care of the steaming drunk and stooped to try and lift Minron to his feet. I turned away in search of water just as Rodney entered the room.

"You three are still at it are you?"

"Just the one but he's very persistent." I said nodding towards Glen. "What time is it?"

"About a quarter of an hour after dawn. I hope you're all going to be ready to hunt some displacer beasts."

"Jacob has a cure for Eligos does he?"

"Yes but we need to go and get a few things for him, displacer beast tentacles being one of them."

"When do we leave?"

"Jacob is gathering a few things for us and then we'll be off."

"You hear that dwarf?" I called over my shoulder. "I hope you can sit straight in your saddle." There was no response. I turned to see Glen nesteld into the mighty shoulder of Minron, sound asleep, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Perhaps we should just collect those two on our way out." Rodney suggested.

I trudged outside to the well to clean the worst of the previous night's excesses from my person. Suitably refreshed I made my way to the library to find out how the preparations were going. I pushed through the doors and stopped short as I strode into a goblin clad in boiled leather armour that lurked just inside the entryway.

"It would be sensible for you to stand to the side of the doorway." I grumbled after colliding with him. "You must be this Splug I have heard mention of."

"Thith ith indeed Thplug." He lisped. "Mathter Hogar and Thplug met latht night. Though perhapth mathter Hogar does not remember tho much of latht night?"

"There are a few gaps." I admitted. "It was a pleasure to meet you I'm sure. In future when you skulk try to do it somewhere out of the way."

"Yeth thir."

Rodney, Eligos and Krevath were gathered around a desk in the corner of the library. At the desk there lounged Jacob Silverkin and at his shoulder stood the elf Eric.

"I have gathered provisions enough to last you for a few days." The old lord intoned. "I would suggest that you head into the forest in search of displacer beasts first and make haste at that. You will soon become the hunted if you try to track down displacer beasts at night.

Ah!" he broke of his lecture as he noticed my approach. "the belligerent one has awoken. I trust that you gave your comrade a good send off?"

"From what I recall it was suitable enough. Are our plans all set out?"

"You are all set to go. I need a displacer beast tentacle, some hydra scales and some glowing moss. I have marked the likely locations of these on your map and I have some items which you might find useful." He slid open a desk draw and took out a scroll, some leaves and a metal lantern.

"Leaves?" Krivath asked. "What are they for?"

"To help you find hydra of course! This is a treatise on how to track displacer beasts," he passed the scroll to me, "and this will light your way." He gave the lantern to Rodney. "Now hurry! You must go whilst you have the light."

Despite our protestations and confusion the old man would discuss no more and ushered us out of the room.

"Rook." I called on my way out. "Are you coming?"

_Busy _came his curt reply.

We left the library, walked out of the front door and headed towards the stables. There a grumpy looking Minron and disconcertingly spry looking Glen awaited us having been collected by Splug.

"I'm afraid there's just no dealing with Jacob sometimes." Eric advised us. "When he gets set on a train of thought there is no diverting him, you just have to go with it. You shouldn't have any trouble locating the forest, you can see it in the distance from here look, just on the other side of the Ogrfist Hills."

"I can navigate my way over a hill to a forest." I told him curtly.

"I'm sure you can but just in case you have any problems Splug is going to join you. He, Bob and I have done some exploring around here and his local knowledge may be of use to you."

We set off, heading south under a looming grey blanket of cloud. A stiff breeze whipped over the plains from the mountains to the west and the air had the crisp smell of impending rain. Before we had gone an hour flecks of water began to fall building first into a fine mist and then into a stinging downpour. For most of the daylight hours, or what passed for daylight under that low thick sky, we tramped over wet scrubby grassland. I let Splug direct us as I took any opportunity available to scrutinise the scroll Jacob had given me. To the old man's credit it did contain some useful information on how to track displacer beasts.

The grey light had started to take on purple hues as we entered the shelter of the forest canopy. Rain hissed upon leaves of all colours from verdant green to brittle brown and darkness began to creep all around us but still I could find no sign of our quarry. Eventually, through the increasing gloom I noticed tell-tale scratches on a tree stump. There were unmistakable tracks nearby, so clear and so freshly left that we had a chance to find the creature before night truly set in.

Splug had demonstrated that he was the only other member of the group capable of moving quietly so he and I moved off ahead of the rest of the group, leaving behind markers for the rest of them to follow. Quickly the trees began to thin out as we moved onto more rocky ground. We made our way from tree to outlying tree towards a sheer rock face about ten feet in height. We crept up to the last tree before a large pool of water that crossed our path. A day of rainfall had turned the shallow layer of earth and moss beneath our feet into a sodden marsh. As the marsh disappeared into the pool of water so too did the tracks vanish.

This did not prove to be an issue as a feline roar drew our attention to the top of the plateau where a large male sat preening himself in the rain seemingly oblivious to our presence. The beast was largely obscured by the sides of the platform upon which he rested. I signalled for Splug to wait whilst I proceed to climb the tree in search of a clear shot at the creature. The tree was old, its trunk and branches thick. Hand and footholds were not difficult to come by and the fierce wind did not cause it to sway over much. I attained a point, near to the crown, where I could stand steady, see the beast clearly, draw my bow to its fullest extent and was still hidden behind a reassuring curtain of foliage.

As I drew back the slick black feline was stretched flat on the ground industriously licking at its left forepaw. Two tentacles protruded from its back just beneath the shoulder blades. They draped down his flanks on opposite sides, curled around behind his rump and crossed each other over his tail. They then lay alongside each of the beasts flanks coming to an end either side of his head. On the end of each appendage was a flat leaf shaped pad, the inside of each serrated with countless needle sharp points.

I loosed my arrow and it flew straight and true towards the beast's heart. But rather than strike home it thudded into the dirt. The creature, or what I had thought to be the creature seemed to flicker and I caught the briefest glimpse of the beast's genuine location a little way to one side. Cursing myself as a fool for forgetting that these beasts are able to disguise themselves with illusion I drew another arrow ready to strike again. As I did so a commotion sounded in the forest behind us. It was Minron and the dwarf blundering their way through the trees making enough noise to wake the dead from their slumber.

The displacer beast sprang to attention upon hearing this noise. But rather than set eyes upon the perpetrators he fixed his gaze upon Splug at the foot of my tree. With astonishing speed the creature rose to its feet and bounded across the seventy feet or so that separated him the goblin. Within no more than a couple of seconds he was upon Splug, throwing himself from the height of the plateau in a snarling, frenzied attack. The creature must have been savouring the prospect of tasting goblin blood. I had already written the goblin off as dead, but Splug did not meekly wait for the attack to come. In one fluid movement he drew his short blade and leapt forward to meet the attack. This bold action caught the beast, and everyone else, by surprise, it roared in pain and anguish as the goblin's blade sunk into its flank up to the hilt.

As Splug danced away from the beast, Minron came barrelling into the fray closely followed by the rest of my companions. The displacer beast managed to avoid their attacks and retreated a few steps. Blood dripped from the puncture mark where Splug's blade had bitten deep. The beast raised its muzzle and roared, long and loud towards the sky. Lower pitched calls answered his from the gloom of the forest. Fallen leaves rustled to the rhythm of footsteps and two smaller female beasts padded into the clearing to surround us.

Glen and Rodney tried to attack these new arrivals but were foiled by the flickering illusions that they cast. For his troubles Rodney was lashed repeatedly by the tentacles of the two newcomers. A flurry of strikes left the mage dazed and bloodied. Eligos and Glen both rushed to his aid. Eligos charged into the nearest beast and knocked her flat before continuing into the second and lashing it with her flail. Glen followed up close behind and chopped his ugrosh down into the prone beast. Before the downed creature could raise herself in search of revenge Slug was upon her with a dagger in each hand. His arms were a barely distinguishable blur as he stabbed the hapless creature countless times. When the goblin paused to draw breath the beast was dead.

Whilst this was going on I loosed my second arrow at the large male. Splug's attack seemed to have dispelled the illusion that protected him and this time the arrow struck home. It jolted in surprise at the attack from an unseen opponent. Its head spun around and its eyes locked onto mine. Whilst it was distracted a burst of energy from Rodney struck him full in the side and sent the creature staggering. Krevath followed Rodney's spell with a fireball of his own that singed the fur from the beasts hide. The flames had not yet cleared when Minron charged into the beast. The large male lashed out a spiked tentacle in an instinctual act of defence. Minron tried to block it with his dragon-tooth shield but such was the impact of the lashing tentacle meeting the charging minotaur that the shield flapped uselessly to one side. The spikes continued towards Minron and raked viciously across his shoulder and neck. Undeterred Minron crashed into the beast and thrust his sword into its side. Minotaur and displacer beast crashed to the ground in a tangle of limbs. As it came to rest in the sodden moss I sent an arrow into the beast's side for good measure. As the beast lay on the ground dazed, breathless and bleeding, Splug sauntered up to it and buried his blade in its gullet. The beast did not make so much as a sound as the life drained from it to mix with the water now pooling on the stony ground.

The last female was circling warily around Eligos and eying the rest of us with a mixture of fear and loathing. The spectral figure or a ram's head slammed unceremoniously into the beast's side closely followed by a fireball. As the creature reeled from these she suddenly found Minron's longsword protruding from her neck, the deadly result of another attack from my charge-happy minotaur friend.

With all of the beasts dead we had more tentacles than we could have hoped for. Glen set about the grizzly task of separating them from their previous owners and stowing them away.

"You did well." I said to Splug as I dropped from the tree. "Quite some reflexes you have there."

"Thplug is grateful for your praithe mathter Hogar." He replied with a fawning bow. "Thplug hath had to dodge many attackths in hith life."

"Really? I do find that surprising, you seem such a charming little creature. Come on, we have hydra to hunt."


End file.
